"Bridgegate" Prompts Class Action Lawsuit Against Christie

Unless you’ve had your head in the sand, you’ll already have heard about “Bridgegate,” the scandal currently playing out in New Jersey over accusations that Governor Chris Christie – or members of his administration – deliberately closed lanes of the George Washington Bridge as a revenge attack on the mayor of Fort Lee, NJ. In a televised press conference yesterday, Christie denied all knowledge, confessing his surprise that “stupid” and “deceitful” staff – including his deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly – had been behind the stunt.

Deprived of life, liberty and property for several hours.

An official inquiry has now been launched into the closures that caused massive gridlock and delays in the New Jersey town. Many have speculated that the move was in response to the Democratic mayor of Fore Lee’s refusal to endorse Christie for re-election. Whatever the reason – and whoever knew about the order to close the lanes – one fact is clear: hundreds of thousands of commuters and residents were affected, with delays reaching up to three hours at their worst.

Now – unsurprisingly – six New Jersey residents have filed a class action lawsuit against Governor Christie, Bridget Anne Kelly, former Port Authority official Bill Baroni, Port Authority official David Wildstein (identified in released emails to be the one who imposed the jams) the Port Authority, and the state of New Jersey. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Newark and claims that those caught up in the delays were “deprived of life, liberty and property for several hours” by the roadblocks set up between September 9 and September 13, 2013.

"The defendants in this case were looking to do some serious damage to the residents of Fort Lee. By crippling the town on the first day of school, that's exactly what they accomplished and that's what they're getting sued for," Rosemarie Arnold, the attorney who filed the lawsuit, said according to UPI.

The lawsuit also calls the plan to impose roadblocks a “conspiracy” and a “willful, wanton, arbitrary and egregious official misconduct.” While the possibility of a class action lawsuit was first reportedly raised in September 2013 at the time of the delays, the lack of evidence made filing a suit difficult. The revelations of the past week, however, have made the legal standing of the case much stronger. A class action suit, by its nature, is open to all those affected by the claims – in this case, potentially hundreds of thousands of class members.

It’s unclear at the moment exactly what damages the plaintiffs are seeking.

Did you suffer financial losses as a result of being stuck in the traffic jam? Share your thoughts in the comments below.