Looks like Gov. Christie just had some bad news break out.
From WYNC (New Jersey Public Radio):
...newly disclosed phone records - supplied by AT&T to the New Jersey legislature and obtained by WNYC - show that Christie's current Chief of Staff, Regina Egea, communicated by cell phone with Gov. Christie 12 times during that hearing on December 9, 2013. The Governor initiated the contact, about 30 minutes into the testimony, and sent a total of three texts to the aide. Egea replied nine times before the testimony concluded. The records show only one other text from Egea to Christie that month, on Christmas Day.
This is important because...
The new evidence contrasts with a report the governor's legal team issued last March, which did not reveal any texts about the lane closures sent from Christie to anyone from September 2013, when the Fort Lee traffic tie-ups occurred, through January. And it contradicts the sworn testimony of Egea that there was only one text from her to Christie that day.
But the
Rose Mary Woods moment is this one:
Legislators investigating the Bridgegate affair have repeatedly pressed for information about the governor's communications. In its interim report on the matter obtained by WNYC and expected to be released today, the legislative select committee said that "counsel for [the Office of the Governor] indicated that it has been unable to locate any such texts on either the Governor or Egea's mobile telephones. Given Egea's testimony and the AT&T records, there is little doubt the texts were composed and transmitted. [The Office of the Governor's] inability to provide their contents indicates that both Egea and Gov Christie deleted the message at some unknown point."
Yup. Deleted. Go figure.
But the conclusion to be drawn is that Christie's current chief of staff (and deputy back then) Regina Egea is in it pretty deep and SHE was in communication with Christie during the hearings that he denied having paid much attention to. And that she lied about those communications.
Smoke, to be sure. New smoke, even.