MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript: New Jersey Port Authority Scandal

Interview

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I`m joined now by John Wisniewski, the New Jersey assemblyman who co-
led an investigation by state lawmakers into the scandal. It was evidence
that his committee uncovered which led to the U.S. attorney`s criminal
investigation. And Matt Katz is a reporter here with WNYC in New York.

Thank you for both for joining us.

And, Assemblyman, let me start with you.

JOHN WISNIEWSKI (D), NEW JERSEY STATE ASSEMBLYMAN: Sure.

KORNACKI: Your panel looked into this last year and in your final
report, you could find nothing to pin on Chris Christie. The U.S.
attorneys looked at this and he said today that in this scheme, he doesn`t
think anybody but these three are going to be charged. He didn`t find any
smoking gun on Chris Christie.

Does that mean Chris Christie should be considered in the clear on
this?

WISNIEWSKI: Well, I think it`s premature to make those conclusions.

I also think that it doesn`t really adequately characterize what our
report or what the U.S. attorney said today. Our report said that we
didn`t have any findings one way or another about the governor`s
involvement. Mr. Fishman today said that based on the evidence he has, he
doesn`t foresee any additional charges.

But this is more than just continuing to press the narrative that the
governor knew nothing about this. I mean, the fact of the matter is, is
people that he trusted, people that he put into position, people that were
his spokespeople at the Port Authority carried out a very bizarre and very
mean-spirited plan to deprive people in Fort Lee of the ability to get
across town.

This is not just simply about whether or not an indictment will come.
It`s about the moral responsibility of a man like Chris Christie.

(CROSSTALK)

KORNACKI: But do you believe you have -- you have David Wildstein,
his lawyer, for instance, saying again today that Chris Christie knew about
these lane closures as they were happening, that there`s some evidence that
exists, he says, that would back it up. I mean, have you looked at this?
Do you believe that Chris Christie knew about this either before or during
the closures?

WISNIEWSKI: I find it hard to accept the governor`s statement that he
knew nothing about what people who were in his employ were doing.

Steve, we all know how governor`s offices work. Bridget Kelly didn`t
wake up one morning and decide to close these lanes because she thought it
would be a fun thing to do. Somebody gave her the authority. Somebody
gave her the direction to do this. We don`t know who that is. So there`s
still a lot of unanswered questions with this. We don`t know where that
will go and clearly the facts that the U.S. attorney has deduced thus far
say that there`s nothing to charge anyone else on this incident.

But he`s also said that based on the facts that they have so far. So,
there are unindicted co-conspirators that the U.S. attorney mentioned, and
we don`t know who they are or what they may say in the future.

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