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Bill Baroni, the Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, testifies before a state Assembly panel last month.

(Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today announced Bill Baroni, the deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has resigned, effective immediately.

The announcement comes as the scandal over the closure of lanes to the George Washington Bridge has reached a national level. Baroni has said lanes were closed for a traffic study, but Democrats believe the move was retribution against the Fort Lee mayor for his failure to endorse Christie for governor.

The governor said Deborah Gramiccioni will be taking over for Baroni.

“This was nothing that I hadn’t planned already,” Christie said of the replacement of Baroni.

“The fact is that Senator Baroni said when he testified that a mistake was made. They believe that the study needed to be done but they didn’t do it correctly within the protocols of the Port Authority,” Christie said.

Christie today flat out denied any involvement in the politics surrounding the closures.

“He’s taken responsibility for that, as well he should because he’s the lead person for New Jersey at the Port and he’s the one that approved it at Mr. Wildstein’s request,” Christie said of the study.

Christie said he never called New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as reported in a Wall Street Journal article Thursday.

“The story’s categorically wrong. I did not have that conversation with Governor Cuomo in any way shape or form and Governor Cuomo did not have it with me,” Christie said.

Of the bi-state agency, Christie said: “I don’t sense that they’re out of control. Does that mean they’re mistake free? No.”

Gramiccioni is one of dozens of former federal prosecutors who the Republican governor has taken into the government fold since his days as U.S. Attorney. She formerly worked for the attorney general under Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat. For Christie, she has served in his cabinet as director of authorities unit and deputy chief of staff for policy and cabinet liaison.

“It has been an honor to work for the governor the past 10 years,” she said, adding: “I’m ready to get to work.”

David Wildstein, the agency’s director of interstate capital projects, announced his resignation last week. Wildstein is off the payroll as of today, Christie said.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski on Thursday subpoenaed Port Authority documents from seven officials, including Wildstein and Baroni, who has said the lane closures were part of a traffic study. The study has yet to surface.

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