Days after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said that the
Bridge-gate scandal should not affect his standing in a President-elect Trump
administration, Vice President-elect Mike Pence has taken over Christie’s
position as head of the transition team.
A source close to Trump has stated the replacement was necessary to utilize Pence’s connections on the Capitol in order to have smooth transition into the White House. Some believe the decision to change hands was because of Christie’s connection to the 2013 scandal involving lane closings in Fort Lee as revenge against the Mayor for not endorsing his re-election.
Christie alone openly believed his swift termination of the aides responsible for the lane closings in Fort Lee relinquished him of any responsibility to the scandal. He also pleaded innocence after a court decision last month found both aides guilty of fraud and corruption. No one else in the Governor’s administration was charged with a crime.
Christie’s name had been further tarnished during the trial when it was revealed during the 2013 governor election that he used gifts and other privileged items to garner support from Democrats, including 9/11 memorabilia. The prosecution’s star witness, assistant to Christie that was given immunity for his cooperation, detailed Christie’s first time hearing about the traffic jams during a 9/11 ceremony held at the World Trade Center memorial.
This was Christie’s last shot at maintaining a position in the Republican Party after he steps down as governor after the 2017 gubernatorial election. The former Justice Department lawyer had fallen out of the grace of the GOP after the infamous photo of him embracing President Obama during Superstorm Sandy and the 2012 election.
Christie’s name had also been floated around as a contender
for a cabinet position as are most Trump surrogates as a reward for their good
faith during the election. It’s still unclear whether Christie will still be
offered a position or have to return to New Jersey after the newly elected
president takes over the White House.
