Chris Christie spent 107 minutes on Thursday publicly apologizing for his staffers' orchestration of a huge four-day traffic jam in Fort Lee, N.J. Two lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge were closed, causing the jam — an alleged act of retribution against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee after he refused to endorse the Garden State governor's bid for reelection.
Though Christie took responsibility for the incident because it happened under his watch, he distanced himself from any actual knowledge of or involvement in the scandal. The governor insisted he was duped by several aides and his appointees at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; he has since fired his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, cut ties with others connected to the plan, and visited Fort Lee personally to apologize.
See also: Christie and the Bridge: A Political Scandal Made for Netflix
Port Authority officials have resigned, but plenty still believe this episode's roots run much deeper. Below, we rounded up how that tone was captured across the web.
After Chris Christie's Performance, the New York Times
How Hard Did Christie Push For the Truth?, The Bergen Record
My Time With Chris Christie's Scandal-Plagued Aide David Wildstein, Politico
Firing of Stepien Deprives Christie of a Key Counselor, The Washington Post
For Now, Scandal Not Seen as Fatal to Christie in 2016, Reuters
Gov. Chris Christie’s Load of Bull: Fired Aide Bridget Kelly Merely a Patsy in Attempt to Shelter Port Authority Cronies, Himself, New York Daily News
Meet Fired Christie Aide Bridget Anne Kelly, New York Post
State Sen. Shirley Turner Alleges Governor Christie is 'Part of the Cover-Up' in Bridgegate, The Trentonian
Christie's Apology, Done His Way, the New York Times
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