New Jerseyans and the world will have to wait for official word about the GWB lane closings, which created a commuting nightmare and prompted accusations of misconduct by the governor’s office. According the NBC 4 New York, the federal probe has not uncovered anything directly connecting Christie to the lane closures. The office of U.S. attorney Paul Fishman, who is leading the probe, did not release any reaction to the report.
As the federal investigation is still open, it remains possible that federal charges could be brought against one or more of Christie’s aides. In January, former Port Authority official David Wildstein, a key player in the scandal, alleged in a letter the decision to close the lanes was “the Christie administration’s order.”
Also unaddressed as of yet is how the administration used Port Authority funds. In June, the New York Times reported on potential securities law violations from a $1.8 billion road repair agreement in 2011.
Additionally, the state legislative committee’s separate investigation into the incident continues. Reacting to the NBC report, Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who co-chairs the special committee with state Senator Loretta Weinburg, said in a statement, “This is not a Chris Christie investigation. It’s an investigation as to why this happened and who authorized it. As a consequence, this does not change our position.”