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Dem Panel Clears Christie in Bridgegate

Finds no direct evidence.

A legislative inquiry into the George Washington Bridge scandal couldn’t determine whether New Jersey Governor Chris Christie knew about the controversial lane closures before they occurred, with investigators saying they were stymied by a lack of access. The 136-page-report reviewed by the Wall Street Journal found “no conclusive evidence” Christie “was or was not aware” of the September 2013 lane closures in advance or while they were happening. But the report found that accusations by a former ally of the potential 2016 Republican presidential contender left “open the question of when the governor first learned of the closures and what he was told.” A Christie spokesman declined to comment. The report comes 11 months after New Jersey Democrats formed the committee to investigate the lane closures. The probe is separate from a federal investigation led by New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, who is expected to wrap up his effort in 2015. An investigation by attorneys hired by the Christie administration cleared the governor in its own report.