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GOP's Christie Faces Traffic Jam Scandal; Christie Praised, Criticized For Brash Style; CNN Documentary Tells Stories Of Survivorship

Aired January 09, 2014 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Carol Costello. It's nearly three years before the presidential election and by many accounts the Republican road to the White House runs through New Jersey. Get ready to hit the brakes. The traffic jam on the right-hand side of your screen is blossoming into a political scandal for GOP darling Chris Christie.

Christie is expected to talk about it at a news conference in just about an hour. E-mails show a top aide to the New Jersey governor ordered lane closures to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, which sits at the foot of the George Washington Bridge.

Later e-mails among Christie ally shows giddiness as the September traffic snarl and trapped thousands of motorists including school children and emergency vehicles. Four months later, traffic is flowing freely, but roadblocks may now lay in the path of a Christie campaign.

CNN's Joe Johns is here to walk us through the paper trail. Good morning, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. The closest thing to a smoking gun is a message that went out on August 13th and it said, "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." This was a message from the e-mail account of Bridget Anne Kelly, the governor's deputy chief of staff to David Wildstein, one of the governor's top appointees at the agency that controls the bridge.

Wildstein replied "Got it." When the mayor of Fort Lee called about the gridlock, Kelly then e-mailed Wildstein to find out if anyone had called him back. Radio silence was the response. The official reason for the gridlock was a traffic study reviewing traffic patterns for toll lanes.

The problem is the town that felt the most pain was Fort Lee, New Jersey whose Democratic mayor had endorsed Christie's opponent in the gubernatorial race in November. So the question that has been raised is whether the governor knew what was going on. He said he did not.

His statement said, "What I've seen the first time is unacceptable. I am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was I misled by a member of my staff, but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge. One thing is clear. This type of behavior is not acceptable. I will not tolerate it because people of New Jersey deserve better."

He went on to say that people would be held accountable and responsible for their actions. So Carol, a lot of questions for Chris Christie today about what he knew, what he did about it, and whether he sanctioned or encouraged this type of behavior among his top staffers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So this alleged retaliation came why, because he was punishing the Fort Lee mayor, why?

JOHNS: The Fort Lee mayor had endorsed his opponent in the campaign. As you know, Christie won his last re-election bid in a landslide. I don't think there was a question of whether or not the race was going to be close. The suspicion is the motivation for this was the mayor had not endorsed Governor Christie.

COSTELLO: But he's a Democratic mayor. Wouldn't it make sense he would endorse the Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey?

CUOMO: It absolutely would, but I think you can also say that this governor was certainly looking for support on both sides of the political spectrum as he looked forward to a possible presidential bid coming up.

COSTELLO: So he wanted to demonstrate he was above partisanship. There is some irony there, Joe. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Will the taint of the scandal also test some of the image issues facing Christie, a tough talking bully to his critics, a straight talking man of the people to his supporters? CNN's Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer are in Washington to weigh in on this.

Jake, I want to ask you about this first. Christie is supposed to have the news conference at the top of the hour. What do you expect him to say?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: I expect him to take the advice that he gave to President Obama back in November. We had an exclusive interview with Christie on Election Day. At that time, President Obama was embroiled in a controversy about whether he had lied to the American people when he promised voters, consumers, that if they liked their health plan, they could keep their health plan.

So I asked Governor Christie at that point, what advice would you give to President Obama?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE (R, NEW JERSEY: Here's my suggestion to him. Don't be so cute. When you make a mistake, admit it. You know what I said it, I was wrong. I'm sorry. We're going to fix this and make it better. I think people would give any leader in that circumstance credit for owning up to it. Don't lawyer it. People don't like lawyers. I'm a lawyer. They don't like them. People want leaders not lawyers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: People want leaders not lawyers. I talked about this interview with people close to Governor Christie. I was told nobody should be surprised if Christie takes his own advice. That's going to mean a lot more than just saying there was a mistake and saying he's sorry. It's going to mean a full accounting about what he was told, what he knew, when he knew it.

Then of course assuming that he knew nothing about this and the case is as he's presenting it. The question is going to be ask did he in any way create an environment where this kind of petty vindictive ness, the meanness, that you see in these e-mails and texts, did he created an environment where that sort of thing was encouraged or at the at very least tolerated. So there's going to be some tough questions for Governor Christie.

COSTELLO: That's a good point and I'm going to ask you about that, Wolf, but I want to show -- I want to show our viewers a few examples of Christie's alleged bullying style. It's what Jake was talking about. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to address the legislature?

CHRISTIE: Did I say on topic? Are you stupid? On topic, next question. Good. Thank you. Thank you all very much. I'm sorry for the idiot over there. Take care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So Wolf, this is Chris Christie's public persona. Maybe it would be logical to assume his staff would act like that too.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S "THE SITUATION ROOM": He's always been a very tough guy like that when he was a U.S. attorney and obviously when he became governor. Part of the reason he was so popular and got re-elected in this landslide. It's certainly until yesterday seen as a very likely Republican presidential candidate in 2016. We'll see what happens.

He's got a lot at stake at the top of the hour when he addresses not only the folks in New Jersey but around the country. A lot of Republicans, a lot of voters out there are wondering, is this a guy who will potentially has higher ambitions and can move ahead and become a Republican presidential candidate, a serious one, and maybe a nominee.

We'll see how he handles this crisis. There's a lot of questions even if he didn't know specifically about the details, as Jake points out, was there an atmosphere or climate within his senior staff that would have resulted in this kind of political vendetta against the Democratic mayor in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Simply because that Democratic mayor did what Democrats are supposed to do, endorse the Democratic candidate for the governorship. The kind of payback if you will that had the impact of not only snarling traffic, but potentially as a lot of lawmakers in New Jersey are now suggesting, maybe even causing physical harm.

Endangering not only the traffic patterns if you will, but the lives of people, emergency medical personnel can't get ambulances to save some people who are in dire situations because of traffic. That becomes a serious issue and potentially a subject for local, state, and maybe federal law enforcement to investigate.

COSTELLO: Interesting. I know you talked to the mayor of Fort Lee about this scandal and you talked to him about what he'd like to say to Governor Christie. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: What should be done to those who were responsible when all the dust clears when we know everything about this?

MAYOR MARK SOKOLICH, FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY: Well, for those that are responsible are responsible for this most heinous act. They can no longer be in positions of power in government. Wolf, if you know me for 30 seconds you know I don't have an ounce of venom in me. I stayed on the background of the story and didn't come until the e- mails surfaced.

I'm a retribution kind of a guy, but the folks that are responsible for this can no longer be in positions to actually cause this damage to other unsuspecting communities. It's not acceptable. But I have a prediction. You'll have a resignation or two and they'll say this was a career path and they were resigning any way.

It's not remotely acceptable to do what you did. It's the lowest most venomous form of political retaliation, this at a time when New Jersey needs this like we need a hole in the head. We're going to ensure we're the butt of every political joke for 20 years on political misconduct. It's such a sad state of events.

I tell you. I joined now after reading the e-mails. I never viewed it to be a benefit for Fort Lee to enter the political fray. I've been saying no to interviews all along. I've been remaining in the background and I did because the fact finders were conducting their investigations.

There was no benefit for my community because every decision that I make is based on whether or not it's in Fort Lee's benefit, bottom line. Now not to speak as an avocation to my responsibility to the folks that put me in office. I'm actually ashamed.

BLITZER: You're ashamed about what?

SOKOLICH: I'm ashamed to be in the position of an elected official in the state of New Jersey and now to be painted with broad strokes and have to deal with business as usual here in the state of New Jersey. It's not fair. It's not fair to folks that follow rules and are in these positions for the right reasons.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Wolf, the local New Jersey newspaper said if Chris Christie played a part of this or is lying about his role then he is not fit for office. Could he lose his seat?

BLITZER: Even if he didn't play any direct role in instigating this traffic jam that developed over several days, if he was involved in the cover up over the past several weeks when we first learned about the potential for political vendetta, for political shenanigans if you will, and causing these traffic jams, if over the last few weeks he didn't do what a sitting governor should do in a situation like this, immediately start firing people, questioning people, bringing in lawyer, law enforcement, doing those kinds of things.

If he was involved in any cover up if you will then that's a serious problem. Sometimes the cover up is even more serious than the initial wrong doing, if you will. The problem he now has is they're going to investigate not only every day since we first learned about the traffic jams along the George Washington Bridge between New Jersey and New York.

But everyone is going to focus in the news media, law enforcement, Democratic opponents of his, they're all looking at what he did on an hour by hour basis once these allegations came up, and did he engage in any wrong doing. They're going to want to hear from his aides who may decide to cooperate, not cooperate. This could go on.

COSTELLO: You're right about that. So at 11:00 Eastern Time he's supposed to make a statement, Jake. I know you've said he'll probably come out and apologize and all that sort of thing. But will he also fire people? Isn't that part of what he has to do?

TAPPER: Well, he said in a statement last night, people would be held accountable. I can't imagine there won't be at least one firing the deputy chief of staff, Brigitte Anne Kelly, whose e-mail in August says something along the lines of time for Fort Lee to have some traffic jams or something. I'm not quoting directly, something like that to set this entire thing in motion.

I can't imagine that she still has her job as of right now. I don't know that for a fact. I'm speculating. I assume that there will be other people who at the very least will be put on administrative leave. Wolf and I have covered this a million times. The lesson in political scandals as always is something happens, you have investigate your own team immediately, find out everything, get all that information out to the public in a form as soon as possible on your own terms.

No matter what happens, no politician ever seems to understand that this is what you have to do. Otherwise it inevitably comes out in the way you don't want it to. As Wolf said, often, the cover up is worse than the offense. This is very serious stuff when you look at e-mails and texts.

It's hard not to be taken back at the callousness with which some of these top Christie aids including and perhaps David Wildstein at the Port Authority treat the idea that the mayor of Fort Lee was desperately clamoring for any sort of help to end these lane closures because of all kids that were not able to get to school.

The flippancy with which Wildstein says, well, don't worry about it. They are Buono voters, meaning they are voting for Christie's Democratic opponent at the time. It's really shocking stuff. There's one thing I want to say in the governor's favor in terms of the opportunity he has here. We're in an environment politically on the federal level, state level, local level where people are fed up with the lack of accountability they see.

They see it on Wall Street. The fact very few of the bankers who were responsible for the financial crisis had any sort of punishment whatsoever, any sort of jail time, any sort of fine. They're still living in these houses. They see scandals here in Washington, D.C. There's an opportunity for Christie to seize the bull by the horns and actually do this thing right with full apologies, full explanations, full contrition. We'll see if he does that.

COSTELLO: Yes, unless he played a part in it right? We'll see.

TAPPER: If he played a part in it then we're talking about a whole different thing.

BLITZER: The other point we should see, what about these aides. Will they turn against him? Will they come out and make allegations that he knew about it or should have known about it. There are a lot of questions that are obviously going to have to be answered.

COSTELLO: All right, Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper, more later. Thanks so much.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, could Christie's Achilles now? Erin McPike now. Good morning, Erin.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning. Chris Christie's leadership style certainly helped him get things done in New Jersey, but now critics are wondering did he set a bad example for his staff? That story is after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Happening now in Trenton, New Jersey, Governor Christie pal and former top appointee is sitting out an early morning hearing in New Jersey. His attorneys are fighting to keep him quiet, blocking him from testifying about his role in the September GW Bridge closure. His lawyers are arguing that a subpoena calling for him to speak is flawed and the committee overstepped its bounds.

We'll continue to update you on whether or not Mr. Wildstein will have to lawmakers. Let's talk about the man that the scandal could hit the hardest, Chris Christie. He's called reporters idiots, insulted his constituents, but now his bold brass style that won him legions of fans could now put his potential dreams of a White House run to rest.

CNN's Erin McPike joins us with more on that. Good morning, Erin.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning. Well, Chris Christie, first got noticed back in 2009 when he was running for governor here for talking tough and it has helped him along the way, but it certainly has got him in trouble too, of course, most of all right now. Let's look back at other times.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE (voice-over): Governor Chris Christie's brash Jersey style thrust him into the national spotlight. He's got a swagger ready to take on any challenger.

CHRISTIE: We still tight, we still yell. When we fight, we fight for those things that really matter -- thank you all very much. I'm sorry for the idiot over there --- it's people who raise their voices and yell and scream like you that are dividing this country.

MCPIKE: And at times challenges himself and his own party. When Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of his state on the eve of the 2012 presidential election, the Republican governor praised the Democratic president when he visited.

CHRISTIE: I can't thank the president enough for his personal concern and compassion for our state and people of the state.

MCPIKE: He later broadsided Republicans in the House for stalling on the Sandy relief funding bill.

CHRISTIE: It is why the American people hate Congress.

MCPIKE: Just this week, Christie held an event bucking conservative on immigration celebrating a law allowing undocumented students to get instate tuition at New Jersey colleges. Christie hasn't been shy about his presidential ambitions. So much so he was criticized talking too much about himself and too little about Mitt Romney in his Republican National Convention speech.

CHRISTIE: You see, Mr. President, real leaders don't follow polls, real leaders change polls.

MCPIKE: Despite his self-promotion and always being ready for a fight, he knows he's stepped on toes.

CHRISTIE: Listen, are there times when I wish that I wouldn't have said something? Sure. I think people see in me is that I'm genuine. I am who I am.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Now the question, of course, is did he send a bad message to his staff over all of this time? We'll be hearing from Christie in under an hour in the building behind me -- Carol. COSTELLO: Erin McPike, many thanks.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, four people brought together by a common thread. They're all lone survivors of plane crashes. A look at CNN documentary that sheds light on how these people have tried to move on after being a sole survivor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: In 1987, 155 died when a Northwest Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit. There was one survivor, 4-year- old Cecelia Cichan. She was found underneath a chair as rescuers combed through that wreckage. Here's part of her story from the CNN Films production "Sole Survivor."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CECELIA CICHAN, SOLE SURVIVOR, NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT CRASH: When I realized I was the only person to survive that plane crash. I was maybe in middle school, high school maybe. Being an adolescent and confused, it was extra stress for me and I remember feeling angry and survivor's guilt. Why didn't my brother survive? Why didn't anybody? Why me?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Why me? Her parents died too. Joining me is the director of the CNN film, Ky Dickens. Good morning, Ky.

KY DICKENS, DIRECTOR, SOLE SURVIVOR: Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, it's funny, I've always wondered what happened to that little girl. Now I know. Does she have memory at all of the crash?

DICKENS: Actually she remembers the moments before the plane took off. She remembers sitting on the plane. She doesn't remember anything after that.

COSTELLO: Does she remember her parents or her brother?

DICKENS: Yes, in fact when the film begins she tells a story about her mother. She remembers riding in the car with her mom and hearing a song about a bird with a broken wing, which is ironic. She asked the bird does the bird get better? She said yes the bird gets better and flies again. That's how we start her story.

COSTELLO: Now I remember hearing a long time ago that her mother in part saved her. Is that at all true? How did she manage to survive?

DICKENS: You know, who knows how Cecelia managed to survive. Children survive more often than adults. The story is about Cecelia's mother shielding her have been verified as false. No human being can keep another human being close to them when a plane is crashing.

COSTELLO: Absolutely not. I want to talk about survivor's guilt because for years you yourself suffered from that after a car crash. Tell us about that.

DICKENS: Sure. When I was in high school I switched places with a good friend before he got into a car that was in a crash 5 minutes later. He ended up dying and I obviously ended up living. At the time in high school I didn't realize I had survivor's guilt. You don't know what guilt is the first time you go through it. In my 20s, years later, I realized I had the constant desire to live an oversized life and always do something important. I couldn't take naps. I felt I was spared and had to make the best of my life.

COSTELLO: I can't wait to see the documentary tonight. Thanks so much for joining us this morning. "Sole Survivor" airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN. Ky Dickens, many thanks.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, is this traffic jam a major roadblock for one likely presidential contender? We'll look at the growing scandal facing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)