As it turned out, the only death was to Christie’s presidential ambitions, which was fitting. According to prosecutors, government witnesses and the hunches of countless New Jersey politicians, Christie was trying to show what a wonderful GOP presidential candidate he would be by winning a huge second term as governor. To do this, he was lining up endorsements by Democratic mayors who, in the scheme of things, normally endorse Democrats. This is a tradition.

The mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., was a Democratic mayor who was refusing to endorse Christie. He needed to be punished, some Christie people deeply felt, and so the bridge-closing scheme was allegedly concocted. Fort Lee, as it happens, is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge, which is one of the busiest in the world. Traffic would back up, and Fort Lee itself would suffocate in awful fumes and nothing would ever move again. The recalcitrant mayor would see the error of his ways and would become appropriately meek in the presence of Christie.

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It is not alleged that Christie knew of the scheme in advance. It is alleged that he knew about it as it was happening. It is further alleged that he thought it was funny — but then he chuckles at Donald Trump also. All these allegations — with the exception of the one about Trump — were made under oath in open court by the former Christie ally, who says he is one of those who came up with the scheme. If he is being truthful, then Christie ought to be impeached if only for choosing idiots as aides.