N.J. Bridge Scandal: New Emails And Documents Are Released

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hide captionNewly released documents depict officials discussing the controversial September closure of several lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, N.J. Here, the New Jersey side of the bridge, which leads to New York City, is seen Thursday.

Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Newly released documents depict officials discussing the controversial September closure of several lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, N.J. Here, the New Jersey side of the bridge, which leads to New York City, is seen Thursday.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

A New Jersey State Assembly committee released a trove of documents Friday that shed more light on the bridge lane-closure scandal that is embroiling Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration. The panel is seeking details on what's seen as an act of political retribution, which targeted the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee. It obtained the documents under a subpoena.
The lane closures, which were blamed for causing severe congestion on four consecutive days in Fort Lee, N.J., in early September, are referred to as a "new traffic pattern" and a "trial" in the documents, which include emails and text messages between transportation, government, and police officials.
They also include notes of frustration from commuters, including one woman who accused Port Authority officials who control the bridge of "playing God with people's jobs," as The New York Times reports.
The restriction of traffic from three lanes down to one on the George Washington Bridge, which links Fort Lee to Manhattan, has since been called an act of political bullying by some. Gov. Christie denied those charges Thursday, apologizing to the mayor of Fort Lee and saying,