TRENTON --Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg on Thursday called on Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto to initiate impeachment proceedings against Gov. Chris Christie for his alleged involvement in Bridgegate.

Weinberg (D-Bergen), who'd served as co-chair of the Legislature's Joint Select Committee investigating the politically motivated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, asked Prieto to consider impeachment "now or after (Christie) leaves office as allowed by the Constitution...to correct the public record to reflect the evidence provided in the (Bridgegate) federal court trial."

The senator's call for hearings, however, did not get a warm reception from Prieto, who said while the Assembly is "weighing all legislative activity," he was disappointed Weinberg "made her request though a press release."

Two of Christie's former allies, Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni, were convicted by a federal jury last week for their roles in the bridge closing scheme.

"I am seeing Governor Christie on national TV doing revisionist history," Weinberg said. "Where he repeats this story how this verdict actually let him off the hook. Let's talk about the fact that we've got four people who were either found guilty or pleaded guilty. Let's talk about all the people in the trial, who testified under oath, who said he knew."

No one testified during the trial that Christie was told the September 2013 lane closures were part of a political revenge scheme against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing the governor's re-election bid. However, Kelly told jurors she told Christie about a plan to close the local access lanes to increase mainline traffic into New York City before the gridlock in Fort Lee.

She also testified she subsequently told the governor during the closures that Sokolich had reached out to officials during the closures and that he was concerned the closures were punitive in nature.

Christie earlier this week called the Bridgegate lane closures "one of the most abjectly stupid things I've ever seen," and insisted that he had no idea it was taking place.

Prieto (D-Hudson) said in a statement he wasn't pleased by how Weinberg made her call for impeachment.

"As has been the case all along since the Assembly took the lead and broke open this investigation, we are weighing all potential legislative activity, but considering how any impeachment would involve the Senate, it's disappointing that Sen. Weinberg made her request through a press release," Prieto said.

Weinberg said while she'd provided Prieto an advance copy of the press release she sent to the media, she had yet to speak with him.

Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (D-Camden) threw cold water on the notion that there was sufficient cause to start impeachment proceedings, which are required to begin in the Assembly.

"I don't see any hard evidence other than the testimony of three people that have been convicted of a crime," said Greenwald. "Now if (Weinberg) produces hard evidence, or if the U.S. Attorney's office has any evidence of why we should proceed with this, we'd be happy to hear it. But it seems to me that there'd be a hole in the case if we were to proceed."

Christie heads President-elect Donald Trump's transition team and would leave office early if he lands a job with the new administration.

A spokesman for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union), a Christie ally, sharply criticized Weinberg's call for impeachment.

"Senator Weinberg knows that the U.S. Attorney's Office reviewed all the evidence in the case and did not charge the governor with any wrongdoing," said Bramnick. "Politicians should not pretend to be prosecutors. Senator Weinberg's call for impeachment is a political stunt and should be swiftly rejected by the Assembly Speaker."

Weinberg, who has frequently criticized Christie, said her call for impeachment wasn't partisan.

"Cynical people can think anything they want," she said. "I tried to get to the bottom of this in September and I'm still trying to get to the bottom. There are too many people walking around who said 'He knew.'"

Under the state's constitution, a governor may be impeached "while in office or for two years thereafter" for a misdemeanor committed while in office.

If impeached by the Assembly and convicted by the Senate, a governor can be removed from office and disqualified "to hold and enjoy any public office of honor, profit, or trust in this State."

Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.