This is What a Lie Looks Like

Bergen Record Frames the Contradiction Between Wildstein & Christie Statements

It is rare to get the press to publish a laser beam quote on the essential core of a contradiction in what are typically reported as a “he said/she said” claim.

The Bergen Record did that perfectly today in a superb story.

So, just so we don’t lose track of this, I want to excerpt the key portion of the Bergen Record story today on the bombshell claim that “evidence exists” that Christie knew about the GWB lane closures at the time they were happening (and there could be even more evidence that he knew BEFORE the lanes were closed or that he knew the closures were not part of a legitimate traffic study). see:

GWB scandal: Christie knew of bridge lane closures, ex-Port Authority official says

Here is the text which shows a direct contradiction between Wildstein/Zegas letter and the statements of Gov. Christie.

If the Zegas letter is true, there is absolutely no doubt that Christie lied – no way they can spin this:

At the heart of the seeming contradiction was an interplay at a Dec. 13 press conference held by the governor as he announced the departure of his top operational executive at the Port Authority, Bill Baroni, who was implicated in the growing scandal.

At the conference, he responded to this question from The Record’s John Reitmeyer.

“Governor, when this was going on, when the lanes were closed for the traffic study the beginning of September, coinciding with the start of school, traffic got real bad. Was it ever raised to your attention during that?” Reitmeyer asked.

“Never. No,” Christie responded, explaining that not even Patrick Foye, the agency’s New York-appointed executive director, knew about the closures until four days into them. “So if it didn’t get to the executive director of the Port Authority, you can guarantee it didn’t get to me. A, factually, it did not get to me.The first I ever heard about the issue was when it was reported in the press, which I think was in the aftermath of the leaking of Mr. Foye’s email. I think that was the first I heard of it. It was certainly well after the whole thing was over before I heard about it.”

So, there it is.

This could go down as a historic lie, so I want to be sure to memorialize it.

[End note: This is not the first big lie Christie has been caught in.

He lied about the ARC tunnel cancellation; the “Race to the Top” Schundler episode; and the NJ Transit fiasco.

Someone should tell Charlie Stile this, because his column today implies that this is the Gov. first test of credibility and that Christie’s critics have lacked evidence, until today, closing with this:

But this time, his naysayers have lawyers and may soon have former Christie allies eager to talk. This time, the naysayers may have evidence.

[Update: Wow, the Star Ledger gets it too, with a killer total front page: “They Both Can’t Be Right”