Chris Christie, New Jersey Governor and the chairman of Donald Trump’s transition team should he be elected president, just got some very bad news. A municipal judge has found probable cause for an official misconduct charge against the sitting governor of the Garden State, reports WNBC in New York. Under New Jersey law, someone can be summoned to appear in court on a charge even if they have not been arrested. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office will make the determination as to whether or not to bring the case to a grand jury for a potential indictment.
This stems from “Bridgegate” scandal where lanes of the George Washington Bridge connecting New York and New Jersey were closed for seemingly nebulous reasons. The lanes in question flowed into Fort Lee, New Jersey, the mayor of which was not endorsing the governor’s reelection bid. Allegedly, Christie aides Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni thought that causing a traffic jam into Fort Lee was appropriate revenge for this. During the trial of Kelly and Baroni, which is still ongoing, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official David Waldstein testified that Christie knew of the reasoning for the lane closures days after they started.
The original complaint was filed by Bill Brennan, a local activist. “When the governor conspires to turn the power of the government against the people, it becomes a totalitarian regime and it is a crime of highest order,” he told Patch after hearing of the ruling. “A firm and direct stand against this dangerous abusive authority must be taken and an example must be made of him.”
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