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 The internal review was requested by Christie, whose top staffers
have been accused of orchestrating a massive traffic jam at the
George Washington Bridge in September 2013 as political payback
after the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, declined to endorse
Christie's re-election.
The report was set for release by the New York law firm of Gibson,
Dunn & Crutcher, which has close ties to the Christie
administration, at about 11:30 a.m.
New Jersey lawmakers and the U.S. Attorney's office in New Jersey
are undertaking parallel investigations into the traffic tie-up.
Christie, who fired the staffers and denied any involvement, was
expected to be cleared by the report that took two months, involved
70 interviews and cost more than $1 million in legal fees paid by
New Jersey taxpayers.
The New York Times on Monday reported the internal review found no
evidence Christie was involved with planning or directing the lane
closures which snarled traffic in the borough of Fort Lee, New
Jersey.
The internal report has no legal weight and is eyed suspiciously by
many critics because it was ordered by Christie and because the law
firm has close ties to Christie.
The lead attorney on the review, Randy Mastro, a deputy mayor under
former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said attorneys had
unprecedented access to the governor and his office's internal
communications and records.
Mastro said Christie handed over his iPhone, telephone records and
allowed investigators to search his private and government email
accounts.
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What is missing from the report, however, are the accounts of two
main players in the scandal — Bridget Anne Kelly, the governor's
former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Stepien, Christie's former
campaign manager.
Kelly, who apparently kicked off the lane closures by sending an
email that read "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," and
Stepien have been subpoenaed by a state investigative committee
seeking documents and emails related to the lane closures and the
aftermath.
Both have refused to comply, arguing the subpoenaed documents would
violate due process and their constitutional guarantee against self
incrimination.
(Additional reporting by Victoria Cavaliere;
editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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