Chris Christie lied about bridge lane closure role, says ex-official

One of the key players in a scandal surrounding Chris Christie accused the New Jersey governor Friday of lying about his role.

David Wildstein, a former Christie appointee who presided over the George Washington Bridge lane closures at the center of the controversy, said through his attorney in a letter to the Port Authority's general counsel that "evidence exists . . . tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the Governor stated publicly."

Christie's office denied the accusation.

Wildstein is the first Christie ally to publicly question the governor's account, and his claim could further damage Christie as he tries to restore his image amid aggressive investigations by Democratic lawmakers and a federal prosecutor.

Also Friday, Bill Stepien, a longtime political adviser to Christie, said he would refuse to testify before the state legislative committee investigating the episode -- raising the possibility of more damaging information.

Wildstein, who attended the same high school as Christie, was appointed by Christie to a position at the Port Authority.

In September, Wildstein and another of Christie's top appointees at the Port Authority ordered the lane closures, causing four days of gridlock in Fort Lee, N.J., apparently as retribution against the city's mayor for not endorsing Christie for re-election. Wildstein resigned in December.

"Mr. Wildstein contests the accuracy of various statements that the Governor made about him and he could prove the accuracy of some," wrote his attorney, Alan Zegas.

Wildstein gave almost no details about his assertions. And he said nothing about what the important evidence is, or who has it.

That made it hard to judge what role the letter -- first reported by The New York Times -- would play in the investigations.

In rejecting Wildstein's accusations, a Christie aide said in an email: "Mr. Wildstein's lawyer confirms what the Governor has said all along -- he had absolutely no prior knowledge of the lane closures before they happened and whatever Mr. Wildstein's motivations were for closing them to begin with."

The aide added: "As the Governor said in a December 13th press conference, he only first learned lanes were closed when it was reported by the press and as he said in a January 9th press conference, had no indication that this was anything other than a traffic study until he read otherwise the morning of January 8th. The Governor denies Mr. Wildstein's lawyer's other assertions."

At a news conference last month, Christie said he had only recently learned that the closures had been ordered by his administration. "I had no knowledge of this -- of the planning, the execution or anything about it -- and that I first found out about it after it was over," he said then.

Even when he found out about it, he said then, "what I was told was that it was a traffic study."

Christie's supporters were quick Friday to rally behind the governor. Anthony Carbonetti, a GOP consultant and his longtime friend, said Wildstein's letter was "not a smoking gun."

"If he had a smoking gun, he would have immunity already," Carbonetti said. "Wildstein's letter does not contradict Christie and it's the work of someone who is trying to get his legal bills paid."

Last month, Wildstein pleaded the Fifth Amendment when he appeared with Zegas before a state assembly hearing about the traffic snarl. Zegas told the Post last month that Wildstein is eager to share fresh information, as long as state and federal prosecutors grant him immunity.

The flurry of activity Friday created a fresh distraction for Christie, who has been busy with preparations for Sunday's Super Bowl, to be held in East Rutherford, N.J.

He was undeterred Friday night, appearing at Howard Stern's birthday party in New York City.