Bridgegate
New Jersey doesn't believe Chris Christie is innocent in the Bridgegate scandal
Jessica Kourkounis / Getty Images
The state of New Jersey doesn't believe Chris Christie's claims of ignorance to the Bridgegate scandal, according to a new Quinnipiac poll out Wednesday. In the survey, 56 percent of registered voters called an investigation into the bridge scandal a "whitewash," while only 36 percent felt it was "legitimate."
Last month, a legal team commissioned by the Christie administration concluded that the governor knew nothing at the time about the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, pinning the blame instead on rogue members of his staff. But given that the lawyers were essentially working on Christie's behalf, the finding struck some as hardly impartial.
Meanwhile in the survey, Christie's approval rating dipped to 49 percent, down almost 20 points from a year ago. Though there's certainly still time for Christie to recover and pursue a White House bid in 2016, the lingering scandal reportedly has GOP bigwigs and donors kicking the tires on other potential establishment candidates, most notably Jeb Bush.