Trump has raised the possibility of launching a criminal probe into former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his alleged involvement in the 2013 “Bridgegate” scandal. Trump threatened an investigation against Christie after watching his appearance on ABC News’s “This Week.” Christie was never implicated in the scandal, which saw two of Christie’s allies convicted and sentenced to prison for their role in a scheme to punish a local Democratic mayor who refused to back Christie’s reelection bid.
The Supreme Court in 2020 threw out the convictions against both of the former aides, ruling that while the scheme involved deception and corruption, it did not violate federal law. Trump touted the ruling as “a complete and total exoneration” for Christie and others involved, while blasting what he called “grave misconduct by the Obama Justice Department.” Christie applauded the decision in 2020, saying it was a welcome rebuke to an overzealous federal prosecutor.
In summary, Trump has raised concerns about Chris Christie’s involvement in the “Bridgegate” scandal and the Justice Department’s misconduct. Christie has consistently maintained his innocence, and the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2020 has been praised as a welcome rebuke to the Justice Department’s overzealous pursuit of a predetermined and biased outcome.
