Chris Christie has another big bridge problem


One bridge scandal has become two for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), as investigators are now probing whether his administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey violated securities laws with a 2011 road repair project, according to The New York Times.
The latest investigation focuses on a $1.8 billion renovation for the Pulaski Skyway, which connects Newark and Jersey City. Though Port Authority funds are intended for joint projects between New Jersey and New York, Christie's administration fought to have the agency divert money to the Pulaski Skyway anyway, according to the Times.
Again and again, Port Authority lawyers warned against the move: The Pulaski Skyway, they noted, is owned and operated by the state, putting it outside the agency's purview, according to dozens of memos and emails reviewed by investigators and obtained by The New York Times.
But the Christie administration relentlessly lobbied to use the money for the Skyway, with Mr. Christie announcing publicly that the state planned to rely on Port Authority funds even before an agreement was reached. Eventually, the authority justified the Skyway repairs by casting the bridge as an access road to the Lincoln Tunnel, even though they are not directly connected. [The New York Times]
The Manhattan district attorney and the Securities and Exchange Commission are handling the investigation, which apparently arose as a result of investigators probing Christie's other bridge fiasco. Under a New York law, prosecutors could bring felony charges against anyone who deliberately misled bond holders, according to the Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On its face, the new scuttlebutt seems less explosive than the last. Budgetary jujitsu doesn't scream "scandal" in quite the same way that petty political retribution does. Yet the latest investigation nonetheless casts Christie, again, as a tainted politician.
Christie said earlier this month that the last bridge scandal was "over, it's done." That may be so, but a new bridge story is just getting started.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
What They Found: Sam Mendes's powerful debut documentary
The Week Recommends The Oscar-winning director's harrowing film features footage and first-hand accounts of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
By The Week UK
-
The Return: a 'lethally effective' Odyssey adaptation
The Week Recommends Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche reunite in Urberto Pasolini's 'emotionally gripping' drama
By The Week UK
-
6 trackers to help you find everything from your keys to your kids
The Week Recommends These devices offer accuracy and ease
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans