Chris Christie insists he had 'no knowledge' of Bridgegate after former aides found guilty

After a jury on Friday found his two former allies guilty on all charges in the Bridgegate trial, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) released a statement maintaining he had "no knowledge" of the 2013 lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. "I had no knowledge prior to or during these lane realignments, and had no role in authorizing them," Christie wrote in the statement. "No believable evidence was presented to contradict that fact."

The lane closures have been interpreted as an act of political retaliation after the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, where the bridge access lanes are located, refused to endorse Christie in the governor's re-election race that year. Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, each faced seven counts and could face up to 20 years in prison after Friday's verdict.

Christie, a former federal prosecutor, vowed to "set the record straight in the coming days regarding the lies that were told by the media and in the courtroom." During his testimony, former Port Authority official David Wildstein — serving as the prosecution's key witness — said the governor "laughed" when he found out about the closures.

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Christie said he is "saddened by this case" and "about the choices made by" Wildstein, who had previously admitted to masterminding the plot, as well as Kelly and Baroni. You can read Christie's entire statement below. Becca Stanek