Christie reiterated his apology over the ongoing "bridgegate" scandal and said he will cooperate with officials investigating the plot.
In his much-anticipated State of the State address Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wasted no time before addressing the bridge scandal that is testing his political career. But he quickly tried to shift attention away from the controversy and on to education and the need for bipartisanship.
Christie acknowledged the elephant in the room at the top of his speech, reiterating his apology to state residents following last week’s revelations that some of his top aides were involved in a politically motivated plot to close lanes and cause traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge. He argued that what happened was an aberration and did not define the state of New Jersey.
“The last week has certainly tested this administration. Mistakes were clearly made. And as a result, we let down the people we’re entrusted to serve,” he said in front of the Democratic-controlled state Senate and Assembly, whose members have launched an investigation into the scandal.
Christie added that he’s ultimately responsible for what happens on his watch and emphasized he will cooperate with inquiries “to make sure this breach of trust does not happen again.”
“I also want to assure the people of New Jersey today that hat has occurred does not define us or our state,” Christie said. “This administration and this legislature will not allow the work that needs to be done to improve the people’s lives in New Jersey be delayed.”