'Sexist Remarks' Inappropriate in 'Bridgegate' Report, Lawyer Says

The attorney for the former Gov. Chris Christie aide at the center of the "Bridgegate" scandal said the internal investigation's "venomous, gratuitous, and inappropriate sexist remarks" were unprofessional and inappropriate in the 360-page report released Thursday.

The $1 million report characterized Bridget Anne Kelly, who was fired earlier this year as Christie's deputy chief of staff, as nervous and emotional, and claimed her failed "personal relationship" with Bill Stepien may have played a role in the George Washington Bridge lane closures.

Kelly's attorney, Michael Critchley, called the report “a preemptive strike” against his client that attempted to tarnish her credibility, according to The Star-Ledger.

“Ms. Kelly is not a liar. She is a single mother of four children who was deeply devoted and committed to her job at the Office of the Governor," Critchley told the Ledger. "She worked tirelessly to pursue the goals of the Office during her tenure."

Randy Mastro, an attorney with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher that conducted the investigation, said Kelly's alleged failed romance with Christie's former campaign manager could explain the lack of communication between the two during the lane closures, according to The Daily Beast.

"As I explained at yesterday’s press briefing, these facts are unquestionably relevant because they help 'explain a lack of communication between the two of them during a critical period' when Kelly gave the 'go-ahead' to David Wildstein, a Christie appointee at the Port Authority, [to do the ‘traffic study’]," Mastro is quoted as saying in the article.

Critchley called the report incomplete and failed to review "all pertinent evidence," the Ledger reported. The investigation's findings claimed Christie had no knowledge of the lane closures and also discredited Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer's accusations the governor's administration threatened to withhold Sandy recovery funds if the city didn't approve a redevelopment project.

The report claimed Kelly, 42, a Ramsey resident, orchestrated the lane closures and pointed to her infamous email that stated, "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," as a key piece of evidence.

However, the investigative team was not able to speak with Kelly, Wildstein and David Samson, who resigned Friday as chairman of the Port Authority.