Prosecutors: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie won’t face charges in ‘Bridgegate’

Jan. 28 (UPI) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie won’t be charged with misconduct for lane closures on the George Washington Bridge in 2013, prosecutors said.

The Bergen County prosecutor’s office announced on Friday that Christie won’t face charges in the so-called “Bridgegate” scandal because prosecutors did not believe the charge could be proved in court, the New York Times reported.

“The reason is simple but compelling — that charge cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” the office said.

Christie’s spokesman Brian Murray thanked Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal, a Christie appointee, for the decision.

“The governor is gratified that the Bergen County prosecutor’s office has ended this baseless fiasco,” Murray said.

William J. Brennan, the resident who filed the complaint against Christie, said he believes a probable cause hearing scheduled for Thursday will still be held, according to CNN. While it remains unclear whether the probable cause hearing will be held, Brennan said he intends to be at the court to establish probable cause and request a special prosecutor.

Brennan alleged the multiple day lane closures on the George Washington Bridge were politically motivated and Christie “knowingly refrained from ordering that his subordinates take all necessary action to re-open local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, N.J., that had been closed with purpose to injure Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich.”

An assistant Bergen County prosecutor said citizens are unable to prosecute serious crimes like the one Brennan brought up in his complaint.

Christie has denied knowing about the closures. An October 2016 ruling by Judge Roy McGeady that there was probable cause for Christie to be tried for misconduct was overturned by Judge Bonnie Mizdol in January.

Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, and Bill Baroni, former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey were convicted of conspiracy, fraud and civil rights violations over the lane closures in November.