Christie Under Investigation for Another Bridge Closing

Federal prosecutors looking into whether he deceived bondholders
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 24, 2014 9:20 AM CDT
Christie Under Investigation for Another Bridge Closing
In this June 20, 2014, file photo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority event in Washington.   (AP Photo/Molly Riley, File)

Apparently Chris Christie has a problem with bridges. Federal prosecutors' investigation into the George Washington Bridge scandal has now widened to include several other bridge closings, the New York Times reports. So far they're focused primarily on repairs to the Pulaski Skyway, and while the allegations aren't nearly as sensational as the allegedly politically-motivated George Washington Bridge closing, they still could lead to felony charges. Christie's administration is accused of pressuring the Port Authority into paying for the Skyway's repairs, even announcing that it would do so before an agreement had been reached.

That's a problem because the Skyway is operated by New Jersey, and hence outside the Port Authority's mandate. But it leads, indirectly, to the Lincoln Tunnel, so the Port Authority listed the repairs in bond documents as "Lincoln Tunnel Access Infrastructure Improvements." If prosecutors can prove that was intentionally misleading to bond holders, they can file felony charges under New York's Martin Act. Prosecutors are also in the early stages of investigating the closures of other bridges, including the Goethals and Bayonne bridges, though the details in those cases remain murky. But it's not all bad news for Christie today; a new Iowa poll shows that he's made up 5 points in a hypothetical matchup against Hillary Clinton, though he still trails the Democrat 44-36, Politico reports. (More Chris Christie stories.)

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