New Jersey Governer Chris Christie has fended off questions over his handling of the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal during a town hall-style meeting in Flemington on Thursday. CBS News said one attended questioned the presidentiable about his former aid, fired deputy chief of staff Bridget Kelly. Kelly was cut loose by Christie in January after her name appeared numerous times in emails that discussed the lane closures at the New Jersey bridge.
Addressing the inquiry about Kelly's firing due to her lying or because she had done something illegal, Christie told the person, "There were lots of reasons for the firing. Do not take from my silence on the act that the act was countenanced. The whole press conference was about the fact that what happened was absolutely unacceptable and that I didn't know anything about it. I never had a chance to hear the truth."
The former US attorney also insisted that he will not be making any judgements at Kelly until the investigation has been completed, CBS quoted him. Christie also said that he will still fire Kelly should she had come forward with the truth.
A woman's question was more of an emphatic defense when she referred to the Bridgegate, the news outlet said. Eliciting a smile from the New Jersey governor, she said, "People are getting the impression that you are guilty before you're proved innocent. I don't think enough people are defending you on that."
The scandal about the bridge closures not only spurred federal investigations and had hurt his chances of getting a seat in the White House, but also earned the ire of several people. The town hall meetings saw an increase of instances wherein hecklers shouted at Christie on various issues aside from the bridge lane closures. On the other hand, Christie's administration had been championing the public interactions, with top Republicans saying that a "no-nonsense" politician could take on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential elections, CBS said.
