New Jersey governor Chris Christie has been interrogated by federal prosecutors investigating lane closures on the George Washington bridge to New York City, ABC News reported on Friday.
ABC reported that Christie was interrogated last month at the governor’s mansion in Princeton for hours as part of the “Bridgegate” scandal. Those familiar with the meeting told ABC the investigation appears to be “wrapping up”.
Christie’s meeting with prosecutors took months to arrange, according to ABC News, and prosecutors reportedly considered issuing a subpoena for Christie to testify before the grand jury.
The George Washington bridge, between New York and New Jersey, is one of the world’s busiest. When two of three lanes were closed in September 2013, the town was thrown in chaos by the volume of traffic trying to enter the bridge. Some alleged that the closures were a retaliation against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, who refused to endorse Christie during his most recent campaign.
Some of Christie’s most senior staffers were fired as a result of investigations into the closures. One of the most infamous emails released during a state legislative inquiry was from Christie’s former deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly, who before the closures wrote that it was “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”
In December, a New Jersey legislative committee concluded that there was no evidence that Christie knew about lane closings on the bridge. The Christie administration is also being investigated for funnelling money from the Port Authority, a bi-state agency, to repair the Pulaski Skyway, a bridge that is owned by the state.
