Taxpayer legal tab for Christie's response to Bridgegate scandal exceeds $15M

Taxpayers have paid more than $15 million for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's legal response to the George Washington Bridge scandal, according to records reviewed by the Associated Press, and the cost could climb since digital records must be retained during an appeal.

Data forensics firm Stroz Friedberg billed the state about $700,000 in 2017 and more than $60,000 in 2018, according to Department of Law and Public Safety records. Those billings came after two former Christie allies were convicted in a 2016 criminal trial and brings the total amount paid to the firm to $4.1 million.

The bills are a reminder of the political-legal drama that engulfed the Republican's second term, contributing to his sinking approval ratings and helping to weigh down his presidential aspirations. Christie has denied any wrongdoing and was never charged.

The September 2013 decision to shut down the world's busiest bridge connecting New Jersey to New York stemmed from a political revenge plot against the mayor of Fort Lee over his failure to endorse Christie's re-election.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/04/taxpayer_legal_tab_in_bridgegate_scandal_exceeds_1.html