As Possible Indictments Loom, Most Say Christie Should Leave Office If Committed Crime

A five-day poll that surveyed more than 1,400 New Jersey residents showed nearly two-thirds of Garden Staters believe Gov. Chris Christie should be removed from office if it is proven he ordered the notorious Fort Lee traffic jam in September 2013.

While the poll, created by Politico.com, showed Christie’s job approval rating continued to slide from 56 percent to 38 percent, most polltakers felt the governor should be removed from office and, further, prosecuted if he gave the go-ahead in the “Bridgegate” scandal.

Results showed 53 percent of residents believe Christie knew about the traffic situation on the George Washington Bridge, and 63 percent said he should be removed from office if he approved the move.

Of that 63 percent, 29 percent said he should be removed and prosecuted on criminal charges if Christie was behind the traffic jam.

The poll comes as reports say the federal investigation into controversial lane closings at the George Washington Bridge in 2013 could soon lead to the announcement of indictments.

Investigators have interviewed the Fort Lee Council, among others, and subpoenas have indicated that the inquiry has gone beyond the lane closings to include possible conflicts of interest and bribery, according to The New York Times.

New Jersey scandals aside, residents don’t believe their governor is the right choice for D.C., either.

The poll went beyond Bridgegate, and asked residents how they thought Christie would fare if he made a bid for the White House - a decision he previously said would be made early in 2015, but has not yet done so publicly.

Sixty-five percent of the 1,428 residents said Christie wouldn’t be a good president, with 64 percent going as far as to say he shouldn’t even attempt running, the report said.

Just 29 percent of New Jersey residents said the Mendham Township resident would be a good president.

Of the total field of polltakers, 444 were registered Republicans, politico.com reported.

Other Patch stories:

• WEATHER ALERT: Tornado Watch in Effect for Portions of New Jersey
• WEATHER UPDATE: ‘Severe’ Storms, Flooding, Power Outages, High Winds, Tornado Watch In New Jersey
• WATCH: Video Shows Cops Rescuing Allegedly Drunk Woman From Fiery North Jersey Crash
• ‘Real Housewives Of New Jersey’ Stars Losing Their Mansion