02.03.2014
Christie staffer resigns amid GWB probe
A member of Governor Christie’s chief of staff’s office who was involved in a sensitive email chain concerning the lane closings at the George Washington Bridge quietly resigned on Friday, just days before she was to deliver documents to a legislative committee investigating the governor’s role in the traffic mess in Fort Lee last September.
The staffer, Christina Genovese Renna, who has been subpoenaed by the committee, confirmed in a statement released Sunday by her lawyer, Henry Klingeman, that she had resigned.
"I left my position in the governor’s office effective Friday, January 31," Renna’s statement said. "This reflects a decision I have been considering since shortly after the election. I have spent almost four years working hard for a governor I continue to respect and admire. The transition from term one to term two is a natural time to pursue an opportunity in the private sector."
The statement was released just an hour before kickoff in Super Bowl XLVIII, which was to have been a moment of triumph for the governor, one in which he could have basked in a rosy national glow if not for the exploding GWB controversy.
But as an indication of how Christie, often touted as a prospective GOP presidential candidate in 2016, has diminished in the eyes of many, he was booed on Saturday, when he appeared at a ceremony in Times Square to hand the honor of hosting next year’s Super Bowl to Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona.
Renna, who held a title of director of departmental relations, had reported to Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, whom Christie fired after learning of an email she had written to David Wildstein, a key Christie aide at the Port Authority, the bi-state agency that operates the bridge.
The email from Kelly, which came to light in a batch of documents turned over to the legislative committee by Wildstein, who had resigned from his $150,000 job as director of interstate capital projects. The email included the now-memorable line: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." When the email came to light, Christie denied he knew anything about the reason for the lane closures, accused Kelly of lying to him, and fired her.
Among the documents Wildstein turned over was an email written by Renna that she sent from her personal account to Kelly’s personal email address on Sept. 12 advising her boss that a staffer named "Evan" had received a call from Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich about the lane closures and the traffic consequences.
The email from Renna to Kelly said: "Evan told the fine mayor he was unaware the toll lanes were closed, but said he would see what he could find out."
It was not clear exactly who "Evan" was, but public records show the only person with that first name who works in the governor’s office is an aide named Evan Ridley.
Documents that have been made public show that Kelly received Renna’s email on the same day she was with Christie touring the Seaside Heights boardwalk after a devastating fire, and that she forwarded it to Wildstein.
Klingeman, Renna’s lawyer, could not be reached immediately for further comment on her resignation.
On Sunday morning, high-profile Republicans went on the offensive to support Christie.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal all appeared on morning news shows to support Christie in both his role as governor and as the leader of the Republican Governor’s Association.
On the CBS News program "Face the Nation," Giuliani attacked the credibility of Wildstein. In a letter Friday, an attorney for Wildstein, said "evidence exists" that Christie had knowledge of the lane closings at the time they were in effect. The letter did not say what that evidence is.
Giuliani said that Wildstein is seeking immunity from prosecution and needs someone to pay his legal bills. "The governor has denied it," Giuliani said. "There’s no evidence to suggest he’s not telling the truth."
Ryan, appearing on ABC’s "This Week," described Wildstein’s allegations as "one person’s word against the other" and said, "Nothing has been proven and you always give a person the benefit of the doubt in those kinds of situations."
Giuliani also repeated his assertion that John Wisniewski, the Democratic Assemblyman and chairman of the legislative committee investigating the bridge scandal, seems to have made up his mind already that Christie is lying. He said Wisniewski has an ulterior motivate as a "guy who’d like to be governor" and should not be the one investigating the governor.
Wisniewski was also making the rounds on Sunday. Speaking on "Face the Nation," he denied accusations he has preconceived notions about the case, though he said he is "skeptical" about the timeline the governor has presented about what he knew and when he knew it. Christie has said he knew nothing about the closures until they were reported in the press.
On the NBC News program "Meet the Press," Wisniewski added that the revelation by Wildstein raises questions and that he has yet to see any of the evidence Wildstein’s attorney suggests exists.
He also said any talk about impeachment action against the governor is "premature."
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee used the Super Bowl as inspiration for its latest web video attacking Christie. The video, posted on YouTube, questions the political viability of Christie, who was called a front-runner for the GOP presidential nominee in 2016 after his landslide victory last year.
"The big game is about to begin. A rising star shows promise," reads the opening text superimposed over footage of a football game.
As a player throws a pass, text appears: "They say he’s unstoppable."
The video then shows a football player missing a catch with the words, "Unless he chokes."
On CNN’s "State of the Union," Jindal pledged his support for Christie, saying he should not resign as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
"I think he should stay there," said Jindal, a former RGA chairman and current vice chairman. "RGA's not about one governor."
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Christie staffer resigns amid GWB probe
A member of Governor Christie’s chief of staff’s office who was involved in a sensitive email chain concerning the lane closings at the George Washington Bridge quietly resigned on Friday, just days before she was to deliver documents to a legislative committee investigating the governor’s role in the traffic mess in Fort Lee last September.
The staffer, Christina Genovese Renna, who has been subpoenaed by the committee, confirmed in a statement released Sunday by her lawyer, Henry Klingeman, that she had resigned.
"I left my position in the governor’s office effective Friday, January 31," Renna’s statement said. "This reflects a decision I have been considering since shortly after the election. I have spent almost four years working hard for a governor I continue to respect and admire. The transition from term one to term two is a natural time to pursue an opportunity in the private sector."
The statement was released just an hour before kickoff in Super Bowl XLVIII, which was to have been a moment of triumph for the governor, one in which he could have basked in a rosy national glow if not for the exploding GWB controversy.
But as an indication of how Christie, often touted as a prospective GOP presidential candidate in 2016, has diminished in the eyes of many, he was booed on Saturday, when he appeared at a ceremony in Times Square to hand the honor of hosting next year’s Super Bowl to Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona.
Renna, who held a title of director of departmental relations, had reported to Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, whom Christie fired after learning of an email she had written to David Wildstein, a key Christie aide at the Port Authority, the bi-state agency that operates the bridge.
The email from Kelly, which came to light in a batch of documents turned over to the legislative committee by Wildstein, who had resigned from his $150,000 job as director of interstate capital projects. The email included the now-memorable line: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." When the email came to light, Christie denied he knew anything about the reason for the lane closures, accused Kelly of lying to him, and fired her.
Among the documents Wildstein turned over was an email written by Renna that she sent from her personal account to Kelly’s personal email address on Sept. 12 advising her boss that a staffer named "Evan" had received a call from Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich about the lane closures and the traffic consequences.
The email from Renna to Kelly said: "Evan told the fine mayor he was unaware the toll lanes were closed, but said he would see what he could find out."
It was not clear exactly who "Evan" was, but public records show the only person with that first name who works in the governor’s office is an aide named Evan Ridley.
Documents that have been made public show that Kelly received Renna’s email on the same day she was with Christie touring the Seaside Heights boardwalk after a devastating fire, and that she forwarded it to Wildstein.
Klingeman, Renna’s lawyer, could not be reached immediately for further comment on her resignation.
On Sunday morning, high-profile Republicans went on the offensive to support Christie.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal all appeared on morning news shows to support Christie in both his role as governor and as the leader of the Republican Governor’s Association.
On the CBS News program "Face the Nation," Giuliani attacked the credibility of Wildstein. In a letter Friday, an attorney for Wildstein, said "evidence exists" that Christie had knowledge of the lane closings at the time they were in effect. The letter did not say what that evidence is.
Giuliani said that Wildstein is seeking immunity from prosecution and needs someone to pay his legal bills. "The governor has denied it," Giuliani said. "There’s no evidence to suggest he’s not telling the truth."
Ryan, appearing on ABC’s "This Week," described Wildstein’s allegations as "one person’s word against the other" and said, "Nothing has been proven and you always give a person the benefit of the doubt in those kinds of situations."
Giuliani also repeated his assertion that John Wisniewski, the Democratic Assemblyman and chairman of the legislative committee investigating the bridge scandal, seems to have made up his mind already that Christie is lying. He said Wisniewski has an ulterior motivate as a "guy who’d like to be governor" and should not be the one investigating the governor.
Wisniewski was also making the rounds on Sunday. Speaking on "Face the Nation," he denied accusations he has preconceived notions about the case, though he said he is "skeptical" about the timeline the governor has presented about what he knew and when he knew it. Christie has said he knew nothing about the closures until they were reported in the press.
On the NBC News program "Meet the Press," Wisniewski added that the revelation by Wildstein raises questions and that he has yet to see any of the evidence Wildstein’s attorney suggests exists.
He also said any talk about impeachment action against the governor is "premature."
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee used the Super Bowl as inspiration for its latest web video attacking Christie. The video, posted on YouTube, questions the political viability of Christie, who was called a front-runner for the GOP presidential nominee in 2016 after his landslide victory last year.
"The big game is about to begin. A rising star shows promise," reads the opening text superimposed over footage of a football game.
As a player throws a pass, text appears: "They say he’s unstoppable."
The video then shows a football player missing a catch with the words, "Unless he chokes."
On CNN’s "State of the Union," Jindal pledged his support for Christie, saying he should not resign as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
"I think he should stay there," said Jindal, a former RGA chairman and current vice chairman. "RGA's not about one governor."
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