Story highlights Fort Lee mayor accepts Christie's apology; resident says, "I don't buy it"

Official: Four medical emergencies were delayed help because of snarl on bridge

Lane closures tied up traffic on busy bridge in September

E-mails and texts emerged this week suggesting that Christie aide was involved in closures

For several days in September, there was one experience that united motorists in New Jersey: Together they felt the total despair, rage and frustration that came with trying to drive near or on the George Washington Bridge.

It meant a commute from hell for thousands. Parents couldn't get their kids to school.

"It was utter chaos those days. People were pouring into the store, complaining," Debbie Minuto recalled Thursday in her shop, Binghamton Bagel Cafe, in the town of Fort Lee. "The bridge is a lifeline here. You take away the bridge, you take away our livelihood."

She had just finished watching Gov. Chris Christie apologize on national television, saying he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by the conduct of "some people" on his "team" but that he knew nothing about it. He said he fired a senior aide at the center of the uproar involving the alleged abuse of authority behind the lane closures that snarled traffic.

Christie's apology wasn't enough, Minuto said. "He hurt a lot of people. You can't play with our bridge."

Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was not indicted as part of the Bridgegate scandal. But one of his appointees pled guilty and 2 former staffers face criminal charges. Hide Caption 1 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – David Wildstein, a former top Christie appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit fraud on federally funded property and one civil rights violation. Hide Caption 2 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Bridget Anne Kelly, Gov. Chris Christie deputy chief of staff, was fired when her e-mail about it being time for "traffic in Fort Lee" became the center of the scandal. She has been charged with nine criminal counts, including conspiracy and fraud. Hide Caption 3 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Bill Baroni was executive deputy director of the Port Authority until he resigned amid the scandal in December 2014. He has been charged them with nine criminal counts, including conspiracy and fraud. Hide Caption 4 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer claims New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno approached her in a parking lot last May and told her that Sandy recovery aid for her town depended on her support of a redevelopment project backed by the governor. Hide Caption 5 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in the Christie controversies – Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno denies telling Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer that her town's Superstorm Sandy relief money depended on her support for a redevelopment project proposed by a company with ties to Gov. Chris Christie that he had backed. Hide Caption 6 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in the Christie controversies – Maria Comella, a deputy chief of staff in Christie's office, had been monitoring the media reaction weeks after the George Washington Bridge traffic fiasco. She has been subpoenaed as part of the state legislative investigation. Hide Caption 7 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie controversies – Randy Mastro, a former assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former deputy mayor of New York, will head the legal team representing the Christie administration in various investigations relating to the George Washington Bridge political scandal. He once a the federal racketeering lawsuit that forced the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to hold democratic elections and undergo court supervision. Hide Caption 8 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Reid Schar, a key figure in the federal prosecution of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, will assist the special state Assembly committee investigating the bridge scandal that has engulfed current and former aides of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Hide Caption 9 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, a Democrat, said he was concerned about the bidding process for using $25 million in Superstorm Sandy relief funds for a marketing campaign to promote tourism at the Jersey Shore. Hide Caption 10 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – E-mails suggest that Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich was the apparent target of an alleged political payback scheme involving traffic jams around the George Washington Bridge. He met with Chris Christie in early January to discuss the matter, and said the governor was "gracious and apologetic." Hide Caption 11 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – New Jersey Democratic Assemblyman John Wisniewski is chairman of the special state Assembly committee investigating the George Washington Bridge scandal. The panel has subpoenaed current and former top Christie aides as well members of his political organization, seeking documents and other materials. Chris Christie has not been subpoenaed but his office has. Hide Caption 12 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Michael Drewniak, Christie's chief spokesman, has been subpoenaed by a special state Assembly committee investigating the George Washington Bridge scandal. It is seeking documents and other materials. Although there is nothing to suggest Drewniak was involved in the scandal, e-mails released by investigators show he met with a key figure, David Wildstein, two days before Wildstein resigned from his job as a top Christie appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Hide Caption 13 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – David Samson, Port Authority chairman, said its board had no knowledge of the George Washington Bridge traffic jam mess until five days after the fact. He has been subpoenaed by the state assembly committee and is also a partner and founding member of Wolff & Samson, the law firm that represented the Rockefeller Group in the Hoboken redevelopment plan. Hide Caption 14 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Patrick Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority, said access lane closures that resulted in the George Washington Bridge traffic mess didn't follow proper agency protocols. He ordered the lanes reopened and has been subpoenaed by the state Assembly committee as part of its investigation into the bridge scandal. Hide Caption 15 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democrat who also didn't endorse Christie, has raised his own suspicions about his cooled relationship with the administration. Hide Caption 16 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat, has been pressing for information about the scandal. Hide Caption 17 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Democrat Barbara Buono is a New Jersey state senator who challenged Chris Christie this past November and lost in a landslide. She derided Christie during the campaign as representing "the worst combination of bully and bossism," and she brought up the George Washington Bridge traffic mess as an example. Hide Caption 18 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Bill Stepien managed Chris Christie's two successful campaigns for govenor. E-mails suggest he was aware of the bridge lane closures, and Christie has asked him to give up his political role. He, too, has been subpoenaed by the state committee investigating the matter. Hide Caption 19 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – Scott Rechler, vice chairman of the Port Authority's board of commissioners, e-mailed other representatives of the agency saying he was disturbed that traffic was snarled "without regard to this being the Jewish high holiday weekend" last September. Rechler was appointed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Hide Caption 20 of 21 Photos: Who's who in Christie bridge scandal Who's who in Christie bridge scandal – E-mails suggest Regina Egea, then a senior staffer and the governor's point person to the Port Authority and other agencies, was aware of concerns the George Washington Bridge lane closures were not part of an ongoing traffic study as the Christie administration initially claimed. She's now Christie's incoming chief of staff and has also been subpoenaed by the state Assembly committee. Hide Caption 21 of 21

Photos: Political dirty tricks Photos: Political dirty tricks Political dirty tricks – Aides and appointees of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have been accused of closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, pictured, for not endorsing Christie for re-election. If true, this wouldn't be the first time an American politician was targeted with dirty tricks -- the practice goes back as far as running for office. Click through to see other examples of less-than-ethical campaign tactics. Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Political dirty tricks Political dirty tricks – Prostitution allegations: Sen. Robert Menendez of New York denied that he paid a woman for sex, saying allegations that he did were part of a smear campaign. "Any allegations of engaging with prostitutes are manufactured by a politically motivated right-wing blog and are false," Menendez's office said in a statement. The alleged prostitute later filed a notarized statement saying she had never even met Menendez. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Political dirty tricks Political dirty tricks – Fake letters: Sen. Edmund Muskie of Maine, running for president, was expected to do well in the 1972 Democratic primary in neighboring New Hampshire. But the Manchester Union-Leader published a letter alleging that Muskie condoned the use of the term "Canuck," a derogatory term used against French-Canadians. Muskie denied the charge but still suffered at the polls in the early primary, which doomed his chances. The Washington Post later reported that the letter was a hoax and was probably written by Ken Clawson, deputy White House communications director in the Nixon administration. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Political dirty tricks Political dirty tricks – Watergate: The break-in at the Watergate office complex was just the tip of the iceberg in regards to what was going on within President Nixon's re-election campaign in 1972. The Nixon machine was hell-bent on destroying its opponents, and Donald Segretti, pictured, was one of the primary dirty tricksters. The Nixon operative printed fliers that attacked Muskie on his stance against Israel, and he placed them outside synagogues. He also pitted Democrats against one another in a tactic he called "rat-f---ing," like the letter addressed from Citizens for Muskie that accused Democratic primary rival Sen. Henry Jackson of being a homosexual and fathering an illegitimate child with a teenager. Segretti was one of several Nixon operatives who ended up in jail. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Political dirty tricks Political dirty tricks – Doctored photos?: Ross Perot was the first major third-person candidate in modern American politics to mount a serious run for the White House. His plainspokenness got attention, and his platform appealed to the far right. Most of all, he was seen as a threat to split the Republican vote with President George H.W. Bush, who was running for his second term. Despite the energy in his campaign, Perot dropped out of the race, claiming that Republican operatives were about to smear his daughter with doctored photos and try to ruin her wedding. Perot never explained what the photograph purportedly showed. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Political dirty tricks Political dirty tricks – The mystery of Alvin Greene: When Alvin Greene suddenly won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, experts asked, "Who?" Greene didn't campaign, had no political experience and was rarely seen in public. A CNN interview led to more questions of whether Greene, pictured, was intellectually capable of running a viable campaign. Others felt that Greene was planted by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who was running for re-election. Greene was cleared by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division before he lost overwhelmingly to DeMint. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Political dirty tricks Political dirty tricks – Swift-boating: Before John Kerry, far right, was elected senator, he won the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam and later protested against the war. When he ran for president in 2004, he spoke out against the Iraq War. Although Kerry was seen as the underdog in the race, he was gaining momentum before a political ad released by the group known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth accused Kerry of speaking ill of his fellow veterans and lying to get his medals. Kerry first tried to ignore the ads before denying the allegations, but by then the ads -- and Kerry's avoiding them -- stopped whatever momentum was building. Hide Caption 7 of 7

Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 6 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: Quotes from Christie apology Hide Caption 10 of 10

J.J. Jata wasn't far away, smoking cigars with friends and playing dominoes at the Cigar Room. They too had just watched the governor's mea culpa.

"I was on the bridge those days," he said. "It was like a disaster. It was worse than a disaster. I had to get up four hours earlier just to get into the city."

Normally, his commute takes one hour.

"He hurt the people of this community," Jata said. "It was all about politics without regard for the people."

Christie capped Thursday by visiting Fort Lee to personally apologize to the mayor, Mark Sokolich. Christie arrived at the municipal building shortly after 4 p.m., stepping out of a black SUV to a smattering of boos and applause from locals gathered outside, along with one man who barked like a dog.

Miriam Hernandez, a school crossing guard, was among those waiting. She said she voted for Christie in the last election. She's not so sure she'll vote for him again and cast doubt on his explanation that he was in the dark.

"I don't buy it," she said. "It's a pretty big coincidence."

On those September days, Hernandez said, her husband's 45-minute commute took three hours. "He kept calling me. He was so upset," she said.

But Sokolich, who met with Christie for about 45 minutes, said he accepted the governor's apology and called the session "very productive" and "cordial." He said borough officials wanted to make sure "this never, ever happens again in the future."

"We were unconditionally, unequivocally provided with that assurance," Sokolich said. Christie's visit was "a big step in regaining the trust of our community."

"I take him for his word, which is he had nothing to do with it," Sokolich said.

For his part, Christie said he had "a very good, productive meeting" with the mayor, "and I look forward to working with him in the future."

Back at the Cigar Room, however, owner Jose Perez called the governor's explanation "bull."

"This is the usual state of politics in New Jersey. In the end, who pays? The people. We're the ones who pay for the political gains."

And Claude Lewin, who was among those stuck trying to get onto the bridge in September, said he didn't believe Christie "was telling us us 100% of the truth today."

"Like any political scandal, it's only afterward that these politicians show remorse or contrition and acknowledge that something possibly happened," Lewin said. "This was an incident that lasted four days, and after the first day, the governor should have gotten on the phone and called his staff and people at the Port Authority to figure out what was going on."

Phil Belgiovine, 82, has been walking for exercise along Fort Lee's Main Street for decades. Motorists have always tried to leave the New Jersey Turnpike and cut through the street. "Now, our traffic problem has become a political scandal," the retired electric company worker said. "We're amused by all this."

Lorraine Vorchheimer, a Realtor, sits at a desk facing the bumper-to-bumper bridge-bound traffic on Main Street. A resident of Fort Lee nearly 40 years, Vorchheimer said, she never saw anything like the traffic in September.

"It was horrific," she said. "We couldn't get to work."

"A parking lot," a co-worker interjected.

Vorchheimer believes Christie. "I don't think he would be that small-minded," she said. "If he knew, he should not be governor for all the harm that was caused."

Tweets in traffic

Tweets tell the story of those days of stagnation on the bridge.

Mick Duch tweeted "Helloooooo (@ George Washington Bridge w/ 5 others)" on September 9 at 8:38 a.m.; Shawn Bonneau tweeted "I'm at George Washington Bridge (New York, NY) w/ 2 others" at 7:29 a.m.; and at 11:48 a.m., a person named Ali tweeted, "This traffic on the George Washington bridge is cray crazy."

Paramedics faced much more serious dilemmas, of course, and according to a letter written at the time by an emergency official, responders were delayed in getting to at least four scenes. In one instance, they had trouble reaching a 91-year-old woman who was unconscious and later died.

At the three-story Fort Lee Memorial Municipal Building, business went on as usual even though reporters were everywhere. The City Council chambers also serve as the local courthouse, where on Thursday, a municipal judge handled dozens of misdemeanors and traffic violations -- many stemming from traffic around the bridge.

The emergency official who wrote a letter detailing paramedics' problems in traffic, Paul Favia, was at the city building and tried to avoid the press.

"Welcome to my world," he told a co-worker as he dodged reporters.

Hours in traffic

Claude Lewin was doing his usual rush-hour commute on September 13 when his typically slow-going ride ground to a halt. His commute went from 30 minutes to two hours and 15 minutes, according to the Bergen Record.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the bridge connecting the two states, reduced the number of tollbooths from three to one and narrowed traffic patterns toward two Fort Lee streets, and that reduced three lanes to one, the newspaper said.

"Other than after the 9/11 attacks, I've never seen such a fiasco of delays at the inbound, upper-level part of the bridge," Mildred Van Zwaren of Ridgefield told the paper.

"Ludicrous!" Chuck Ciocco said. "Chronic delays like these destroy one of the two main reasons that most of us moved to this area -- great schools and a short commute."

Keith Bendul, the Fort Lee police chief, told the paper that the department first heard about the traffic change on a Monday morning, the first day of school. "Our parents now have to get up an hour and a half early to get their kids to class. We couldn't clear all the residual traffic until 11:30," he said.

On September 10, Favia, the head of the Office of Emergency Medical Services of Fort Lee, wrote a letter to Sokolich detailing instances in which paramedics had trouble reaching people who needed them. The 91-year-old woman went into cardiac arrest, he wrote, but the paramedics were in such a bind that they had to meet the ambulance on its way to the hospital instead of going to the scene, he wrote.

The Bergen Record, which cited borough records, reported that the woman later died.

In another instance, emergency responders were dispatched to a motorcycle crash with injuries, according to the letter. It took nine minutes for the responders to get to the scene when it should have taken four, Favia wrote.

Favia actually joined EMS on that call on September 9 despite being stuck in traffic, which he managed to get out of by jumping a curb and cutting up another street, he wrote. Later that evening, because all ambulances were dispatched elsewhere, he responded to a call about someone having chest pains. It took Favia eight minutes to get to the scene because of standstill traffic, he wrote. He was eventually joined by another ambulance that was also delayed due to traffic tie-ups.

'Time for some traffic problems'

Christie denied for months that anyone in his administration or campaign played any role in the closures.

On Wednesday, e-mails and texts emerged, suggesting that appointees of Christie's orchestrated the closures to punish Sokolich, a Democrat who wouldn't support Christie at the polls. Christie and his staff originally blamed the closures and the traffic delays on a mishandled traffic study.

"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's deputy chief of staff for legislative and intergovernmental affairs, said in an e-mail to David Wildstein, then the highest-level appointee representing the state at the Port Authority.

"Got it," Wildstein replied.

In another message about school buses with students on board caught in the traffic jams, Wildstein wrote, "they are the children of Buono voters," apparently referring to Barbara Buono, Christie's Democratic opponent in November's gubernatorial election.

Those cited in the messages did not respond to requests for comment or to verify the communications. Wildstein invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when called before a state legislative committee on Thursday, with lawmakers citing him for contempt for refusing to answer questions.

As for Sokolich, Christie said Thursday that the mayor "was never on my radar screen" before the controversy. Sokolich said he raised the comment with the governor during their meeting in the afternoon, asking, "Governor, am I now on your radar?"

"His response was something along the lines that Fort Lee now has its own screen," Sokolich told CNN's The Situation Room.