EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS
Embattled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie waves to guests Saturday at the Super Bowl Handoff Ceremony ahead of Super Bowl XLVII.
The “evidence” a former Port Authority official says proves embattled Gov. Chris Christie knew about the George Washington Bridge lane closures are not part of the mammoth pile of documents he submitted in response to a subpoena, the New Jersey Democrat leading the state legislature's investigation said Sunday.
"We don't really know what the evidence is," Assemblyman John Wisniewski said on NBC's "Meet the Press" about David Wildstein's claims that Christie knew of the lane closings.
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"(Wildstein) submitted over 900 pages of documents in response to the subpoena. Apparently what he's talking about must be something other than what he submitted,” he added.
On Friday, Wildstein, a high school classmate of Christie who resigned his cushy $150,000-a-year job as the scandal grew, released a letter through his attorney that alleged “evidence exists … tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated publicly.”
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Susan Watts/New York Daily News
Scandal-plagued New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie flashes a rare smile during the Super Bowl XLVIII Handoff Ceremony in Times Square on Saturday.
Christie has repeatedly denied knowing anything about the Sept. 9-12 snafu that snarled traffic in Fort Lee, N.J., until after it had already happened. The jam was allegedly created as payback aimed at Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for his refusal to endorse Christie in his 2013 reelection bid.
Wildstein, who invoked the Fifth Amendment when he was called last month to testify before Wisniewski’s committee about his role in the scandal, had remained largely silent prior to releasing the letter, raising more questions about the depth of Christie’s involvement in the fracas.
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But on Sunday, Wisniewski said it was “premature" to discuss the idea that Christie should resign or be impeached if he was lying about his involvement in the scandal — a prospect that has been raised by political rivals as well as editorial boards across the Garden State.
“There's a lot of talk about that,” Wisniewski said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “We don't have enough facts to even get to that conversation. We need to get all the facts on the table, we need to make decisions who knew what when. And when that's done, maybe it might be appropriate to have that conversation but clearly we're way ahead of that right now."
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Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News
Former Port Authority official David Wildstein pleaded the Fifth Amendment when he was called to testify last month about the growing Bridgegate scandal.
Wisniewski’s gentle dismissal of such a possibility came just a day after Christie sent an impassioned 700-word email to friends and supporters that ripped into Wildstein.
“Bottom line — David Wildstein will do and say anything to save David Wildstein,” read the Saturday note, titled “5 Things You Should Know About The Bombshell That’s Not a Bombshell.”
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The growing scandal has caused Christie’s approval ratings — and possibly his 2016 White House aspirations — to dissolve, but on Sunday, several of the leader’s colleagues within the GOP came to his defense.
"The governor has denied it. So far, there's no evidence to suggest that he's not telling the truth. I think the governor knows the consequences," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said on CBS's "Face the Nation.”
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William Thomas Cain/Getty Images
David Wildstein, the former director of interstate capital projects for the Port Authority, is sworn in to testify at a hearing held by the Assembly Transportation Committee on Jan. 9.
"If he's lying, it's a really bad situation. If he's not lying, then something very unfair is being done to him. So let's see what happens," added Giuliani, who also contended Christie should keep his position as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
"If I were a governor, I would vote to keep him there," he said.
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Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal, who serves as the RGA’s vice chairman, also offered his support to Christie.
"I don't think he should step down, I think he should stay there," Jindal said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
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