Federal prosecutors were set to open an investigation Thursday into the lane closures in New Jersey that were revealed Wednesday to be part of a political revenge plot pushed by top aides to Gov. Chris Christie.
Citing an unnamed law enforcement source, the New York Times reports that the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Paul Fishman, will open the inquiry after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey referred the case to his office. Fishman later said in a statement that he’s”reviewing the matter to determine whether a federal law was implicated,” the Associated Press reports.
Emails that surfaced Wednesday suggest members of Christie’s administration deliberately shuttered lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge as retribution against a mayor who wouldn’t back Christie’s reelection campaign. Christie apologized and fired a top aide on Thursday as he tried to move past a scandal that could threaten his 2016 presidential hopes.