A judge ruled Thursday that an official misconduct complaint against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) can move forward.

ADVERTISEMENT

The case will now go to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, which will determine if the case will lead to an indictment, reports NBC New York.

Bill Brennan, a retired firefighter, petitioned the court to hear the complaint, which claims Christie knew of the closures on the George Washington Bridge in 2013 and should have stopped them.

Christie has long denied any role in the shutdown, reportedly done as retribution against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., who refused to support Christie's reelection effort, and said he had no knowledge of it until after it was over.