The usually blunt New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shied away from questions during a news conference on Thursday after announcing he has fired his top aide Bridget Anne Kelly due to her involvement in the lane closures, the Associated Press reported.
"I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team," Christie said at the news conference, according to the AP.
The governor took the trip to Fort Lee afterwards to personally apologize to Mayor Mark Sokolich for the lane closures, which Christie claims he had no involvement in, the AP reported. According to reports, the two had a "productive meeting" and Sokolich said the governor took "a big step" towards regaining the community's trust.
Before the incriminating emails and messages were released on Wednesday, Christie had vehemently denied any involvement with the four-day lane closures and insisted his staff knew nothing about the matter besides it being a "traffic study," the AP reported.
"I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution, and I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here," Christie said, according to the AP.
According to Christie, he was fast to take his staff's word because he claims to have never heard of Sokolich until the scandal broke and stated he was not aware his office had asked for the Fort Lee mayor's endorsement, the AP reported.
Beside the latest firing of his top aide, two other of his appointees who held high positions in the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have also resigned, according to the AP.
U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, the chief federal prosecutor in New Jersey, said he is still "reviewing the matter to determine whether a federal law was implicated," according to the AP.
Some of the top Christie officials who have stepped down due to the scandal include David Wildstein who Christie appointed to a top position in the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, according to the AP.
During his trial on Thursday he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and was found in contempt by the legislative committee, the AP reported.
Christie is also being sued by six New Jersey residents who claim the traffic jams were "deliberate actions," the AP reported.
Bill Stepien, a contender to become Christie's campaign manager if he ran in the 2016 presidential election, was also fired by Christie who cited his "callous indifference" in the messages released about the planning of the lane closures, the AP reported.
