Newly released emails involving a political payback plot orchestrated by Governor Chris Christie's aides show the governor's campaign manager was kept informed of complaints over the closures even while lanes remained blocked, according to NJ.com.
More emails involving political adviser Bill Stepien were made public in a legal filing Monday, NJ.com reported.
The records were referred to by the committee's lead attorney, Reid Schar, at a court hearing last week to determine if Stepien and another key Christie adviser, Bridget Anne Kelly, his former deputy chief of staff, must respond to subpoenas, according to NJ.com.
Kelly and Stepien claim doing so would violate their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, NJ.com reported.
Stepien has asked a judge to quash a subpoena from a legislative panel investigating the deliberate closing of traffic lanes near the George Washington Bridge to create gridlock, according to NJ.com.
In response to Schar's reference, the attorney for Stepien, Kevin Marino, demanded the committee turn over the documents because they had not been filed with the court, NJ.com reported.
Marino contends the committee's subpoena for records is based on only a handful of communications involving Stepien that in no way suggest he had any involvement, according to NJ.com.
The scandal has overshadowed Christie's administration and raised questions about his chances in a 2016 presidential race even though Christie maintains he didn't know about the operation, NJ.com reported.
One email shows Christie's top appointee at the bridge agency following up with Stepien on a letter of complaint on the fourth full day of lane closures, according to NJ.com.
