NJ Dems tweak Christie on Bridgegate anniversary

New Jersey Democrats are tweaking Gov. Chris Christie (R) on the upcoming anniversary of the Bridgegate scandal.

Christie came under fire after it was revealed that high-ranking officials in his administration were involved in a decision to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., for not endorsing 2013 Christie’s bid for reelection by closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey and New York. 

New Jersey Democrat State Committee Chairman John Currie said Wednesday in a letter to the director New Hampshire Department of Transportation Bureau of Traffic that the Sept. 9, 2013 incident is a “shameful event in New Jersey’s history. 

{mosads}”As law enforcement officials have determined, on September 9th, several of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s top lieutenants acted to close critical access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, a major artery between New Jersey and New York City that is utilized by countless drivers each day,” Currie wrote. 

“As New Hampshire’s traffic director, you can probably appreciate the chaos this caused us, occurring as children returned to school for the first day and as the region sought to commemorate the tragic events of September 11, 2001,” he continued. “Commuters were prevent from getting to work on time; traffic was backed up for days, and emergency responders were delayed from reaching people in need of assistance.” 

Christie has persistently denied personal wrongdoing in the bridge closure, but the scandal over the lane shutterings punctured his presumed status as a frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.  

The 2016 GOP presidential hopeful’s gubernatorial office did not immediately respond to a request for a comment from the The Hill on Currie’s letter on Wednesday afternoon. 

Currie said he is reminding New Hampshire transportation officials about the incident because he to prevent the early voting 2016 state from encountering “an episode like New Jersey endured two years ago” as Christie campaigns in advance of the Granite State’s primary. 

“Given Gov. Christie’s allies history of engaging in reckless and irresponsible actions — allowing political priorities to trump safety precautions — I fear that history may repeat itself,” he wrote. “Given that you may even be expected coordinate his travel with his state police detail, I wanted to put this anniversary on your radar, and urge you and your agency to be on alert for any shenanigans instigated by his campaign organization.” 

The George Washington Bridge is the most heavily-traveled bridge in the U.S., carrying more than 100 million vehicles per year between New Jersey and New York City.