ga1126gwbhearing 2 Kurdzuk.JPG

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 — State Assemblyman John Wisniewski today issued seven subpoenas for documents and communications from Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials to determine what they knew about the traffic-snarling closure of lanes to the nation's busiest bridge.

Wisniewski and some other lawmakers believe allies of Gov. Chris Christie closed the lanes to Fort Lee on the George Washington Bridge to punish the Democratic mayor for failing to endorse the Republican governor in his re-election bid.

The Assembly transportation committee, which Wisniewski chairs, has already held two hearings on the flap.

Last week David Wildstein, the agency’s director of interstate capital projects, resigned, adding fuel to the theory that the lane closure was politically motivated.

Documents from Wildstein were subpoenaed along with communications from the following officials: Patrick Foye executive director; Bill Baroni, deputy executive director; Cedrick Fulton, director of tunnels, bridges and terminals; Robert Durando, general manager of the George Washington Bridge; Paul Nunziato, President of the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association; and Darcy Licorish of the Port Authority Police Department.

The deadline for the documents is Dec. 19.

“We have heard from four key Port Authority officials, yet we still don’t have any clear explanation for why and how these lanes were closed without public notice, putting public safety at risk throughout an entire community of our state,” Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) said in a statement.

“Mr. Baroni was especially evasive, and subsequent testimony called into question the honesty of his remarks. These documents should provide key insight into whether these lane closings resulted from political operatives who were running amuck, or just sheer incompetence. Either answer is unacceptable, but the public deserves to know the truth.”

RELATED COVERAGE

• Group linked to Hillary Clinton attacks Chris Christie over Port Authority lane closure flap

• Editorial: Subpoena Christie's political appointees to answer for GWB lane closures

• More Politics







FOLLOW STAR-LEDGER POLITICS: TWITTER • FACEBOOK • GOOGLE+