New Jersey Governor Christ Christie's campaign for president may be over before it officially begins.
Evidence from emails released Wednesday suggest that Christie's political team may have purposely caused traffic jams on roads leading up to the George Washington Bridge, sparking a state investigation and jeopardizing the governor's chance to be chosen as the 2016 Republican candidate for President, NBC News reported.
The Governor addressed the scandal in a press conference held Thursday.
The emails reveal that Christie's staff intentionally created "traffic problems," including severe gridlock, in Fort Lee, New Jersey by closing access lanes leading up to the bridge.
The lanes were allegedly closed as a form of retaliation against Fort Lee's Mayor, Mark Sokolich, for not supporting Christie's re-election campaign in 2013, NBC News reported.
David Wildstein, who was appointed by Christie to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, received an email in August from Bridget Kelly, Christie's deputy chief of staff, who wrote "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," according to USA Today.
A few weeks later, Wildstein closed two lanes that link Fort Lee to the George Washington Bridge. In addition to traffic jams the closures delayed emergency responders to distress calls, including one involving an unconscious 91-year-old woman who eventually died, the Bergen Record reported.
Although Christie said he had no knowledge of the plot, his association with it could damage his reputation and make him seem immature, NBC News reported.
The governor staunchly denied his connection to the scandal.
"One thing is clear: this type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better," Christie said in a Wednesday statement, according to NBC News. "This behavior is not representative of me or my administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions."
Watch the live stream of Thursday's press conference here.
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