David Wildstein, the former Port Authority director of Interstate Capital Projects and an ally of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said Friday that the governor knew about the closure of access lanes on the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, N.J., as they were happening in September.
Wildstein's lawyer released a letter to The New York Times, in which Wildstein said: "Evidence exists as well tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated publicly in a two-hour press conference."
Related: Chris Christie: A Bridge Too Far?
Messages from Wildstein were among those included in newly released documents earlier this month as part of state lawmakers' investigation into the closure of lanes onto the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee last September. Christie's opponents have accused his administration of closing the lanes out of political retribution for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich (D) refusing to endorse him for re-election.
Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, sent an Aug. 13 email to Wildstein that read: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
"Got it," he replied.
Wildstein also mocked the concerns about school buses getting stuck in the gridlock that ensued from the lane closures.
Related: The One Question Christie Couldn't Answer
"They are the children of Buono voters," he texted to Kelly, a reference to Barbara Buono, Christie's Democratic opponent in last year's gubernatorial election.
Wildstein also called Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich a "little Serbian."
Earlier this month, Wildstein pleaded the Fifth Amendment in testimony before the New Jersey Assembly Transportation Committee on his role in the scandal. The panel of New Jersey lawmakers subsequently voted to hold Wildstein in contempt for refusing to answer questions.
Here's the full letter from Wildstein's lawyer:
Letter from David Wildstein's lawyer, Alan Zegas
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