By David Cruz
Correspondent
We don’t know if Chris Christie knew that sources at the U.S. attorney’s office were telling reporters that they had found no evidence linking him to the lane closures at the GWB, but the governor (coincidentally?) chose yesterday to unleash his most personal and aggressive attack on the legislative committee looking into the GWB scandal — and the leaks coming from the panel.
“This is Assemblyman [John] Wisniewski and the leadership of that committee,” said Christie in a lively State House press conference. “They care more about being on television than they care about actually getting to the truth and being on the front page of the newspaper, and I’m tired of it; I really am. I’ve cooperated in every way that I possibly can, not only with them, but with everyone else who has asked us any questions.”
Chairman Wisniewski said the governor was being hypercritical about leaks to the press, which he says Christie doesn’t seem to mind if the story favors him. He accuses the governor of hiding behind executive privilege when it comes to turning over documents to the investigative committee and then accusing the committee of not cooperating.
“Look, he doesn’t want to have this discussion because this is a very embarrassing situation for him. I mean it really is embarrassing for his leadership style,” he charged. “It’s embarrassing that the people he’s entrusted have done these things and there are unanswered questions about who knew what, when.”
But this week, the committee’s attorney sent members a letter, warning them about the leaks. Committee member Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi says she’s been frustrated by its work (or lack thereof) for months.
“We are legislators,” she said. “How is it that New York state, The Assembly and the Senate, in New Jersey, the Senate have managed to unanimously put forth reform initiatives and here we are in the Assembly saying OK, will have it for discussion only purposes, some of this stuff. It’s absurd.”
Wisniewski says reform legislation is only part of the committee’s mission. He says they plan to call more witnesses and issue more subpoenas. Asked about reports that he was getting pressure from Senate President Steve Sweeney, a potential gubernatorial candidate, to wrap up the committee’s work, Wisniewski — a potential gubernatorial candidate himself — said that was nothing more than the Trenton echo chamber.
“People hear things; people think they hear things, and then they repeat them,” he shrugged. “I have not gotten any pressure from anyone to wrap this up, and I think that’s a sensible statement because we’re not done.”
Christie said he’s done trying to work with the committee. “I am not going permit them — when they conduct themselves in such an irresponsible way — to have an unfettered access to this office, just so they can use themselves as a highway to the media. So, you know, if he’s got some complaints, he knows what to do,” he said.
Chairman Wisniewski says he won’t put a time clock on his committee’s work, regardless of what schedule works best for the governor or, for that matter, his own party’s leadership.