Christie Ally: He DID SO Know About Bridge Closing

by JASmius

See what I mean?:

David Wildstein, the former Port Authority official who ordered lane closures on the George Washington Bridge last September, still says he told New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Sept. 11th that lanes on the George Washington Bridge were shut down.

According to the internal report released Thursday on the Bridge-gate scandal,  Wildstein, a long-time political ally of the governor's, said he told Christie Press Secretary Michael Drewniak that he had spoken with Christie during a Ground Zero memorial ceremony, telling him about the lane closures, reports The New York Times.

Wildstein's assertion continues to cast doubt on Christie's statements that he did not know about the lane closures until after they happened.

Judging by the almost plaintive alacrity with which Wildstein is insisting that the Big Man knew about the lane closures in advance, it doesn't sound like he's a political ally of Christie anymore, unless he still sneaks platters of cheeseburgers and sides of beef into the Governor's mansion when nobody is looking.

The thing is, both Wildstein and Christie may be telling the truth:

"Whatever brief exchange they had occurred in a public setting where they were surrounded by many, including other Port Authority officials, the governor’s wife, and a steady stream of spectators requesting photographs and handshakes with the governor," said the report. "Not surprisingly, the governor has no recollection of such an exchange."

That seems quite plausible to me.  It's plausible that Wildstein did mention the lane closures to Christie and he didn't hear what Wildstein said; less so that Christie did hear what Wildstein said and promptly forgot about it, unless he thought that Wildstein was kidding with him.  Even in the latter instance I would think that Double-C would have made sure to clarify whether advance notice of the lane closures was a rib or the real thing.

I think it's noteworthy that Wildstein, along with former Christie staffer Bridget Anne Kelly and former Christie campaign manager Bill Stepien - the co-perps in the internal investigation report - declined to be interviewed in that investigation.  Sure seems like confirmation of a Christie-Wildstein split to me.

As I noted yesterday, the federal and state legislative probes are still in progress, and I'll bet the Governor's next waistline measurement that that trio won't refuse to spill their guts to them.

Call it "RINOs' revenge".