Gov. Christie: ‘I Was Told This Was a Traffic Study’

CHRISTIE: “I knew nothing about this until it started being reported in the papers about the closure. And even then, I was told this was a traffic study. Senator Baroni testified that it was a traffic study. There still may have been a traffic study that now has political overtones to it as well. I don't know the answer to that, Angie. I think we're going to find out, but I don't know because Senator Baroni presented all types of information that day to the legislature, statistics, and maps, and otherwise that seemed to evidence a traffic study. So why would I believe that anybody would not be telling the truth about that? I said that I think at the time -- I’m not finished yet, guys. But the fact is that, regardless of all of that, you know, it's clear now that in the minds of some people there were political overtones or political side deals on this, and that's unacceptable. So whether there was a traffic study or not, I don't know. It appeared that there was one, based on what I saw in the testimony, but regardless of whether there was or wasn't, clearly there were also political overtones that were evidenced in those e-mails and other messages that were never ever brought to my attention until yesterday.”