Live Updates on Bridge Scandal Surrounding Chris Christie The Lede is live blogging from Trenton, N.J. Thursday, where Gov. Chris Christie apologized and announced he had fired two close advisors after learning they were involved in creating major traffic problems on the George Washington Bridge as part of an act of political retaliation against a local mayor. As my colleagues report, Gov. Chris Christie spent nearly two hours in Trenton on Thursday, apologizing and taking questions from reporters about the mysterious closures of toll lanes at the George Washington Bridge last year. Mr. Christie announced that he had fired a deputy chief of staff and asked his campaign manager to withdraw his name as candidate for state Republican party chairman after email and text messages made public Wednesday showed conversations with a Port Authority official about toll lane closings because the mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., had not endorsed Governor Christie's re-election bid. Auto-Refresh: ONTurn ONRefresh NowFeedTwitter2:46 P.M. N.J. Lawmaker Wants "Full Cooperation" From Christie Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, a Democrat from Middlesex County who is chairman of the transportation committee investigating the toll lane closures, said the lawmakers want answers. "Apologies are fine but do not answer the questions," Mr. Wisniewski said about Governor Christie's public apology earlier today. He said that he wants to see "full cooperation" from the Christie administration if the governor means it when he says he "wants to get to the bottom of it." 2:22 P.M. Lawmakers Vote to Hold Christie Ally in Contempt The Assembly Transportation Committee voted to hold David Wildstein, the former Port Authority employee involved in the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal, in contempt for refusing to answer members" questions on Thursday. The committee is investigating the circumstances surrounding toll lane closures last year that created massive traffic jams at the bridge. Mr. Wildstein invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege when questioned by lawmakers about what he knew and didn't know about the closures and about requests from Christie administration officials. 1:52 P.M. Governor Christie Ally Invokes the Fifth Amendment After Governor Chris Christie ended his nearly two-hour press conference, journalists moved to the other side of the State House for a hearing being held by the Assembly Transportation Committee investigating the circumstances of the toll-lane closings. David Wildstein, the former Port Authority official who is believed to have ordered the lanes closed in Fort Lee last year at the request of a Christie administration official, attempted to avoid testifying before the committee by asking a judge to quash the subpoena. But a superior court judge cleared the way for him to testify Thursday afternoon. However, Mr. Wildstein invoked hist Fifth Amendment privilege against questions by lawmakers. He said that he was asserting his right not to answer on the advice of his lawyers. Lee Mayor Asks Christie to Delay Visit Today Gov. Chris Christie said he wanted to apologize in person to the mayor and citizens of Fort Lee today. The governor said he intended to call Mayor Mark Sokolich after the news conference, which ran for nearly one hour and 50 minutes. But Mayor Sokolich said that while he respected the governor's apology and intent, he was hoping Mr. Christie would delay the visit. Governor Christie said he wanted to go to Fort Lee anyway to make his apology. 12:36 P.M. Judge Rules Port Authority Official Can Testify Today New Jersey Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson cleared the way for former Port Authority official David Wildstein to testify later today at an Assembly transportation committee hearing on the closing of George Washington Bridge toll lanes last year. Attorneys for Mr. Wildstein had tried to quash a subpoena compelling him to testify, but Judge Jacobsen denied the request. Democratic lawmakers are expected to ask Mr. Wildstein about the circumstances surrounding the toll closings. He ordered the shut down of the lanes after receiving an email message from Bridget Anne Kelly, who lost her job today as a deputy chief of staff for Mr. Christie. Mr. Wildstein resigned from the Port Authority last fall. 12:34 P.M. Christie Makes His Case at Length As Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey stood before reporters for much more than an hour, he seemed determined to answer every question to prove that he was unaware of moves by aides to close down access lanes to the George Washington Bridge. He explained his "humiliation" and sadness over his aides" actions, and worked to make it clear to New Jerseyans and the world that he had nothing to hide. 12:21 P.M. Christie: "I Have Nothing to Hide" Gov. Chris Christie said "I have nothing to hide," and that his administration had nothing to hide. 12:17 P.M. Christie Says His Chief of Staff Did Not Know Governor Christie said that his chief of staff at the time Kevin O'Dowd did not know that his deputy, Bridget Anne Kelly, requested that a Port Authority official to create traffic problems in Fort Lee. Mr. Christie nominated Mr. O'Dowd, who is well-liked in Trenton, as the state's attorney general last month. Mr. O'Dowd is supposed to appear next week before state lawmakers for confirmation. "She had no prior approval from the chief of staff or the governor," Mr. Christie said. 12:12 P.M. Christie Calls Scandal His Biggest Disappointment Gov. Christie responded yes when he was asked whether the scandal involving the toll lane closing was his biggest disappointment in public office. The governor said that that he was standing in his bedroom with his iPad when he read about the email and text message exchange between his deputy chief of staff and the Port Authority official, David Wildstein. 12:08 P.M. Christie Calls Emergency Responder Delays "Awful" When asked about delays for emergency responders because of the toll lane closings and about the death of a 91-year-old woman who was being transported to the hospital at the time, Mr. Christie said: "It is awful." He was also asked how the scandal made him feel, what emotion he was feeling right now. Mr. Christie said, "I am sad." He said that he expects he will become angry, but, for now, he was deeply saddened that Bridget Kelly, a deputy chief of staff, did not tell him that she was involved in the lane closings when he asked his staff members about the situation last year. "I was lied to," he said. I trusted that I was being told the truth and I wasn't. We missed it. 11:47 A.M. Christie Plans to Apologize to Mayor Gov. Christie said that he intends to apologize in person to the mayor and the people of Fort Lee, N.J. later today. 11:45 A.M. Christie Says Port Authority Chairman Did Not Know Governor Christie said that he is confident that David Samson, the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, did not know about the lane closings or the request from his aide. He said that he spent a couple of hours talking to Mr. Samson about the incident. Mr. Samson was also angry over the events, said Mr. Christie who appointed Mr. Samson to the role. "I am confident that he had no knowledge of this," the governor said. 11:39 A.M. PHOTO: Christie Answers Questions in Trenton 11:38 A.M. Christie: "I Am Sick Over This" Gov. Christie said he has lost sleep thinking about how this could have happened in his administration. "I am sick over this," he said. "I am soul searching," he added. I want the people of New Jersey to know that this is the exception, not the rule. 11:31 A.M. Christie: Ft. Lee Mayor Was "Never on My Radar Screen" When asked whether the lane closings were used for retaliation, Gov. Chris Christie said that he was puzzled because he does not remember seeking the Fort Lee mayor's support for his re-election campaign last year. He said that he did not remember calling him or meeting him. Until I saw his picture last night on television, I never would been able to pick him out of a lineup. I never knew that we were pursuing his endorsement. 11:28 A.M. "Told it Was a Traffic Study" Gov. Christie said he was told that the lanes were closed as part of a traffic study when he was asked about the problems at the George Washington Bridge. He said that he is not a "micro-manager." 11:22 A.M. Christie Says, "I Am Not a Bully" Gov. Christie said, "I am not a bully," when he was asked about what the incident said about him and his administration. He said that he had no knowledge of a staff member's involvement in the lane closings when he was first asked about the traffic problems on the George Washington Bridge last year. He said that he had also asked his senior staff members in the last couple of months to tell him if they had any information about the closings. Ms. Kelly did not come forward at that time, he said, and added that he had no reason to believe that she was not being up front. "It is heartbreaking to me that I was not told the truth," he said. "I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here," he said. 11:20 A.M. Christie: "I was Blindsided" Gov. Chris Christie said he did not know about the lane closings and that he was "blindsided" by the information made public on Monday that a top aide had asked for the closings at the George Washington Bridge in August. 11:15 A.M. Christie Terminates Relationship with Campaign Manager Gov. Chris Christie said that he asked his campaign manager Bill Stepien to withdraw his name from contention as leader of the state's Republican party. The governor said that he had also asked Mr. Stepien to end his relationship with the Republican Governor's Association, a role that he had taken on at Mr. Christie's request. "I was disturbed by the tone, attitude and callous indifference that was displayed," Mr. Christie said, regarding text and email messages from Mr. Stepien about the lane closings. It made me lose my confidence in Bill's judgement. He said that he could not have someone at the top of his political organization with whom he had lost confidence. 11:14 A.M. Christie Says He Was Caught By Surprise "I was blindsided yesterday morning," said Mr. Christie. 11:11 A.M. Christie Has Fired Bridget Anne Kelly Gov. Chris Christie said that he has terminated the employment of Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff to the governor, who wrote an email to an official at the Port Authority last August asking if the official, David Wildstein, could order retaliatory lane closings on the George Washington Bridge. "I am sad to report to the people of New Jersey that we fell short," Mr. Christie said. 11:05 A.M. Gov. Christie said: I Am "Embarrassed and Humiliated" Gov. Chris Christie stood at the podium and said: I come out here today to apologize to the people of New Jersey. I apologize to the people of Fort Lee, and I apologize to members of the state Legislature. He said that the conduct that they exhibited is completely unacceptable and showed a lack of respect for the appropriate role of government. I am embarrassed and humiliated by some of the people on my team. 11:06 A.M. Christie Press Conference 10:59 A.M. Inside Trenton State House Reporters, television crews, bloggers and producers from New York, Washington, Philadelphia and New Jersey formed a long line inside New Jersey's State House in Trenton this morning to attend the 11 a.m. briefing. It was standing room only as journalists waited for the news conference to begin. 10:56 A.M. Another Trenton Politician Has Bigger Woes Trenton's mayor, Tony F. Mack, is in court today on corruption charges. 10:41 A.M. U.S. Attorney to Open Inquiry Into Lane Closings The United States Attorney in New Jersey will open an inquiry into the lane closures. 10:33 A.M. Gov. Chris Christie Schedules 11 a.m. News Conference Gov. Chris Christie has scheduled an 11 a.m. announcement at the State House in Trenton, where he is expected to explain how a senior member of his staff and his campaign manager could have known about the lane closures without telling him. On Wednesday, after the email and text message exchanges were made public, Mr. Christie issued a statement: What I've seen today for the first time is unacceptable. One thing is clear: this type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better. This behavior is not representative of me or my Administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions. But he did not take questions from reporters at that time, and he cancelled a public event where he might have been asked about what he knew and when. Mr. Christie is expected to be asked today if any other top aides knew about Ms. Kelly's request. At the time of the lane closings, Ms. Kelly's boss was Kevin O'Dowd. He was the chief of staff for Mr. Christie, but was nominated by Mr. Christie last month to be the new state attorney general. 10:28 A.M. A Timeline of Events The Star Ledger newspaper has published a timeline of the events. 10:02 A.M. Judge Asked to Block Testimony of Christie Ally Judge Jacobson of the Superior Court is expected to hear arguments Thursday morning on a request by David Wildstein, the former Port Authority official who closed the toll lanes, to quash a subpoena. Mr. Wildstein's attorneys are trying to halt his testimony, which is scheduled for later today, before a New Jersey Assembly Transportation Committee. Mr. Wildstein, a childhood friend of Mr. Christie, resigned from the Port Authority last year amid the growing scandal. Among other reasons, his lawyers said the subpoena should be blocked because it did not have the proper signatures of the committee chairman, which lawyers for the Democratic state lawmakers, dispute. 9:35 A.M. Trenton Judge Asked to Quash Subpoena The actual documents show the exchange of email and text messages between aides to Gov. Chris Christie and officials at the Port Authority. They were made public Wednesday as part of an investigation by state Democrats into the lane closings on the bridge. David Wildstein turned over the emails, under a subpoena, to the Democratic lawmakers who then made them public. Mr. Wildstein is trying to quash a subpoena requesting that he testify publicly in Trenton on Thursday about the emails. Judge Mary C. Jacobson of State Superior Court is scheduled to hear his request Thursday morning In one exchange on Aug. 23, 2013, Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy deputy chief of staff to Mr. Christie, sent an email to David Wildstein, a high school friend of the governor and official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the bridge. "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Ms. Kelly writes.