Fort Lee Mayor Lied About Bridgegate Lane Closures, Report Says

FORT LEE, N.J. — Mayor Mark Sokolich testified in the Bridgegate trial Wednesday, admitting that he lied in a November 2013 letter to the editor in The Star-Ledger, according to a report.

Sokolich, a Democrat, said in the letter that he did not believe the George Washington Bridge lane closures were an act of political retribution, Observer.com reported. He testified Wednesday that he felt all along that they were a result of not endorsing Governor Christie for reelection.

"I am not proud of what I did," Observer reported.

According to Sokolich, a large reason behind his motivation to write the letter came from his concern that the Christie administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey would stall a large redevelopment project if he did not act, according to the report.

Sokolich described the "chaos" in September 2013 as he saw the "concrete traffic jam" outside his Fort Lee home, NJ.com reported.

According to federal prosecutors, David Wildstein order Robert Durando the general manager of the George Washington Bridge Sept. 9, 2013 to cut the number of toll lanes dedicated to Fort Lee traffic down from three to one, claiming it was for a traffic study, NJ.com reported.

The ensuing traffic jam created chaos in town. Emergency vehicles could not move, kids couldn't get to school, and traffic was a nightmare.

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