TRENTON — Michael Drewniak, the chief spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie's administration, testified today that he informed members of the governor's senior staff in early November that he had been told that administration staffers were aware of or involved in lane diversions at the George Washington Bridge that snarled traffic in Fort Lee during the second week in September.

Drewniak also said the fact that Democrats known to be Christie’s critics had pressed the bridged controversy helped color how the governor’s office intially reacted to the issue.

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Bridge scandal hearing

Appearing for more than seven hours today before the joint legislative committee investigating the matter, Drewniak said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official David Wildstein told him two staffers — former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly and former Christie for Governor Campaign Manager Bill Stepien — were aware of the lane diversions as they happened, information he later passed along to Chief Counsel Charlie McKenna.

Drewniak said McKenna told him he was “looking into it.”

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Members of the joint legislative committee focused on the timeline of events because Drewniak testified that the conversation happened prior to Christie’s Dec. 2 press conference in which the governor made light of the incident and even joked about having been the one at the bridge placing the cones to divert the lanes.

Drewniak later testified that Wildstein said on Dec. 4 that he told Christie about the traffic issue during a Sept. 11 anniversary event. The press secretary said he informed the governor of the statement on Dec. 5, more than a week before the Dec. 13 press conference where the governor said he had questioned his senior staff about any involvement and was assured none of his circle had any part in the traffic debacle.

Christie has said he doesn’t recall the Sept. 11 conversation with Wildstein.

After the hearing, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), co-chair of the committee, said Drewniak's testimony "in an interesting way moved the body of knowledge that the committee has a lot farther down the field."

"We know today, based on this testimony that this issue of the closure of lanes on the George Washington Bridge and the discussion about whether or not there was a traffic study was according to the words used by Mr. Drewniak in the front office bloodstream as early as late October. (Drewniak) said there was a level of knowledge… in the governor's office.

"What this testimony says to me is it calls into question the timeline that has been enunciated in the past about what the governor's office knew and when they knew it."

During the hearing, State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), co-chair of the committee, asked Drewniak repeatedly if he had corrected the governor prior to or after the Dec. 13 press conference to remind him of Wildstein’s accusations regarding Kelly and Stepien.

Drewniak said he had not, adding that the governor had asked all staffers directly about their involvement and was told there was none.

Drewniak said several times that by kicking the information he received up to more senior members of the administration, he had “fulfilled his role.”

He then said the committee’s concern over his actions assumed Wildstein was telling the truth about others’ involvement.

“To clarify this whole line of questioning, I was operating with what David Wildstein told me,” he said. “I had no knowledge of the veracity of it.”

Christie fired Kelly in January after an email surfaced showing she had known of the lane closures. He cut ties with Stepien on the same day. A report released by a law firm hired by the governor's office concluded that Kelly helped plan the scheme with Wildstein, who was asked to resign in December.

In his testiomony, Drewniak apologized to the committee, and specifically Weinberg for what he was about to say: That there was a belief in the administration that the bridge issue was being “ginned up by two of the most partisan members of the legislature on the other side of the aisle.”

“So that had a role in the coloring and thinking of people,” he said.

Drewniak added that had Christie or any member of the administration had any inkling of the seriousness of the issue, the governor would not have joked about it.

“Nobody would mock something as egregious as we now know transpired,” he said. “This governor — and none of the people around him — would never make a mockery of something so abusive on its face.”

Drewniak's comments came during the first two hours of testimony before the committee.

Drewniak was questioned extensively by state Assemblyman John Wisniewiski (D-Middlesex) over when he became aware of the traffic issues at the bridge and when he first realized it was a bigger issue than first reported.

Drewniak said his assessment of the seriousness of the issue evolved over time, adding that other important issues, including the boardwalk fire in Seaside Heights, took precedent in the early days.

He also said neither he nor the governor had any reason doubt the diversions were in fact part of a traffic study.

Drewniak opened his testimony with a denial that he knew anything about the September lane closings.

“What needs to be said right up front is that I had no knowledge or involvement in the planning or execution of this strange, unnecessary and idiotic episode that brings us here today,” he said. “Nor did I play any role in any actual or perceived ‘cover up.’”

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