Poll: Christie Not Honest About Involvement In 'Bridgegate' Scandal

More than two out of three New Jersey residents say Governor Chris Christie knew about the Bridgegate scandal that occurred in September 2013, according to a new Monmouth University Poll released this week.

Despite no charges being lodged against the state’s top politician, Christie’s former chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly, and two of his top-level appointees to the Port Authority – David Wildstein and Bill Baroni – were individually charged with conspiracy and fraud on Friday, May 1.

Wildstein pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy, while Baroni and Kelly have both pleaded not guilty to their individual charges.

The Bridgegate scandal stems from a weeklong closure of lanes from Fort Lee to the George Washington Bridge, tying up traffic for hours each day, under the guise of a traffic study that never actually existed.

The closures were allegedly made by the trio as a political retribution scheme directed toward the mayor of Fort Lee, Democrat Mark Sokolich, who did not endorse Christie’s 2013 re-election campaign.

The Monmouth University poll showed that 69 percent of New Jersey residents still believe Christie knew about the scandal even though he was not charged or named by prosecutors. More than half of those polled – 56 percent – say Christie knew about the closures as they happened. Going one step further, exactly half of those surveyed said Christie had a hand in forcing the closures altogether.

Conversely, just 23 percent of those polled believe Christie has been completely honest about his lack of knowledge of the situation.

It’s not just Christie who’s being eyed by the public, however. Only nine percent of those surveyed believe the three individuals charged were the only ones involved in the scandal, the poll showed.

Christie is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Cheshire County Lincoln Day dinner on Thursday, and will then bring his New Jersey staple “town hall” forum to Dover, New Hampshire on Friday.

Highly expected to announce a bid for the White House, Christie said he’ll announce his decision to run for president in May or June.

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