mr. wildstein to the authorities in trenton for such matters. there's simply no notion implied by his summary banishment that mr. stepian was somehow blameworthy in this incident. he was not. and andrea, i' got to say, i've been asking from the start, why was bill stepian fired? and what chris christie told us was he didn't like the tone that he discovered in christie's e-mail. but there's other people, his press secretary have the same tone in their e-mails, david samson has at least as bad a tone in his e-mails saying that, you know, foye is playing in traffic and causing troubles. why was bill stepian fired? >> well, we don't know. he wasn't interviewed, bridget kelly wasn't interviews, david wildstein, none of the key figures were interviewed. so there are many, many questions. there are so many things we don't know. we don't know, for example, why it was time for traffic problems in ft. lee. we don't know anything about previous communications. so perhaps there's something that governor christie knows that he hasn't shared with us that hasn'

mr. wildstein was drawn right into the it. even bill barone who has been a friend of chris christie for a long time. it could not have been done unless christie had signed off on it. it is the most ridiculous million dollar report that i think i have ever read in my career, and when i got to the part where they were trying to blame kelly and the reason they gave for it, i thought, this is like a saturday night lives skit, it's not real. >> because you know all these players so well, the stephian part of it is also unreal. he may have had these conversations that upset the governor. but stephian's response to it is not good. he says the report's conclusion of -- which began after he left the governor's office ended before the lane closure debacle gang and took place at a time when both he and ms. kelly were single. but obviously bill stephian is upset got this too, they have now made a third person really angry. >> i think the report characterized stephien's -- they couldn't find any evidence that he was directly involved or an

mr. wildstein through his counsel has taken one clear position. on the other hand, mr. mastro has staked a different view. thus, ms. kelly's evidence could be critical in verifying either of the two versions of events. darryl isherwood, reporter with nj.com and valerie vainieri-huttle, a democratic assemblywoman from new jersey and a member of the state committee that is investigating the bridge lane closures. i want to start with the assemblywoman. assemblywoman huttle, give me your sense of having read this report, what is not in it? what should be in it? what do you want to know? >> well, you know, they said the report was exhaustive and everything was in the report. we certainly have no more answers to the questions than when we started. the governor was looking for the truth. this report certainly was there to try to exonerate the governor. we still don't have the truth or the answers. and i find it very objectionable and questionable that they interviewed 70 people, and the key people, stepien, wildstein, baroni, kelly, samson were not in the report. certainly i d

mr. wildstein told me he informed mr. christie at the memorial the lanes were closed. then this.eral people with the governor that day or observed him said he and the people accompanying him, all three of whom have resigned from the port authority and the agency's police superintendent had ample opportunity to speak privately. there was a camper, a very hot day, an air-conditioned camper. all of them were in there together for an extended period of time. we have the pictures -- >> one shows the camper, too. >> they were in there for awhile. stk pictures are great and wonderful, good job in taking them, they don't prove anything. for all we know, they were talking about what they were having for lunch. >> true. >> even with respect to statements wildstein made to others that he conveyed to the governor that day about lane closures, there's been no allegation what so ever that anything was said about theal tier yor motive or this was done intentionally or that it's anything other than a traffic study where they closed some lanes. >> the one thing, this is why i say it was a heavy h

mr. wildstein resigned from the port authority, it was paul who defended him.s working on an issue that i brought to his attention, and it was turned into a political game. when people said it couldn't have been a real traffic study because the port authority engineers didn't know about it. paul said who cares about that, maybe they didn't know about it, because they [ bleep ] up everything. anyone who believed the lane closures was retaliatory in anyway, is crazy. you're a conspiracy theorist if you believe this was anything but a traffic study. paul has been the most vociferous defender of the cover-up, of the fake story about the fake traffic study. even when everyone else was saying that there was no traffic study. paul stood up not to just defend that story, but to take credit for it, it was me. until today. today paul nunziato took it all back. even though until today, he was the origin for the supposed traffic study. today his attorney says, actually, no, that was never true. this is amazing. paul nunziato had nothing to do with nor knowledge of the plan

mr. wildstein resigned from the port authority, it was paul who defended him.n issue that i brought to his attention, and it was turned into a political game. when people said it couldn't have been a real traffic study because the port authority engineers didn't know about it. paul said who cares about that, maybe they didn't know about it, because they [ bleep ] up everything. it was paul who said that anybody who believed the bridge lane closures were retaliatory in any way is a crazy person. if you believe that, his spokesman said i would suggest we're going to find hoffa's body on the leona helmsley in ft. lee. paul stood up not to just defend that story, but to take credit for it, it was me. until today. today paul nunziato took it all back. even though until today, he was said to be the origin of the whole idea for the supposed traffic study, today his attorney says actually, no, that was never true. this is amazing. he's told "the new york times," " paul nunziato had nothing to do with nor knowledge of the planning, implementation or closing of the acces

mr. wildstein and ms. kelly. some type of nefarious or inappropriate motivation. >> today christie laid a fair share of the blame on problems at the port authority saying his initial reaction to the lane closures was colored by a history of conflict that existed there. >> there was, as you can see from the report, a history of conflict between these folks at the port authority. we believed it was an operational issue with the port authority that they needed to deal with and we told them deal with it and that's where it ended. so part of the problem with all this is that all of us -- you, me, and everybody -- is now looking through the retrospectroscope. you're always smarter and you always know more when that you have. >> christie announced today in light of the internal report's findings that he wants to examine whether or not to split the massive bi-state agency into two. and that he's accepted the resignation of port authority chairman david sampson. the timing of that resignation is raising all sorts of quest

mr. wildstein and ms. kelly, some type of inappropriate motivation for it. lanes being dedicate it to fort s. i don't think it was essential but he did. and so he called me this afternoon and told me that if you're going to have a chance to institute these type of reforms, i think you have to have somebody in there who will be able to take a brand new look at this and not have to worry about the things of the past and so i'm going to go. now, like i said in response to your earlier question over here, this comes as no great shock because david started talking about wanting to leave, and the only reason he stayed is because i asked him to. so didn't come to a shock to me this morning he called and said it. i didn't expect the call this morning. but his action is not a shock to me. i didn't think it was essential, because if i did i would have asked him to resign myself. he believed it was essential. i don't disagree with him and i accepted his resignation this afternoon. walt? >> earlier you talked about the -- [inaudible question] >> i'm sure. i'm sure. lisp

mr. wildstein through his counsel has taken one clear position. on the other hand, mr. mastro has staked a different view. thus, ms. kelly's evidence could be critical to clarifying the two competing versions of event. the report were mjw.com and a democratic assemblywoman from new jersey and a member of the state committee that is investigating the bridge lane closures. i want to start with the assemblywoman. assemblywoman huddle, give me your sense of having read this report. what is not in it? what should be in it? what do you want to know? >> well, you know, they said the report was exhaustive and everything was in the report. we certainly have no more answers to the questions than when we started. the governor was looking for the truth. this report certainly was there to try to exonerate the governor. we still don't have the truth or the answers. and i find it very objectionable and questionable that they interviewed 70 people, and the key people, stepien, wildstein, baroni, kelly, samson were not in the report. certainly i don't think we need to spend a million do

mr. wildstein that's gone to the committee again. there's nothing to show he had anything to do with it. >> there's the e-mail to the governor where he marks up an exit statement for a man the governor said he barely new. that was weeks later. is he so involved in crafting an exit statement for david wildstein, yet had no knowledge. it's far too early to draw conclusions about who knew what in this investigation. >> but no key testimony, why not leave it to the u.s. attorney? >> we don't know what we're going to get. we are waiting for judge jacobsen's decision. we ought to wait for that decision. we ought to look at the documents. we're still going through thousands of pages of documents. this report draws a lot of conclusions and speculation. there's no foot notes to testimony that was taken or interviews that were taken. this report really rushes a judgment that's too early to make. >> okay. mr. assemblyman, thanks so much for joining us. randy master joins us now. you heard mr. wisnieski said it's a rush to judgment. >> we looked

mr. wildstein. how do you know david wildstein told him about the traffic study?> i'm glad you asked the questions i'm going to beat myself so hopefully it's crystal clear, okay? whether or not david wildstein mentioned that there was a traffic issue or a traffic study or a traffic problem in fort lee, that is not a memorable event to a governor as to whether the port authority is involved in some traffic issue in fort lee at a bridge or tunnel. it is simply not an issue that would register with the governor, with the governor as a significance. however, if there had been a circumstance where there's a discussion of ulterior motives, that is something that definitely would've registered with the governor. at how could that have been, surrounded by people, many people from the port authority, dozens of people coming up to him constantly. that didn't happen and no one has suggested it. all and 11's lawyer has in a letter to the port authority and the context of wildstein's not only seeking immunity from prosecution but also indemnification from the port authority, i

mr. wildstein and ms. kelly. some sort of nefarious or inappropriate motivation for. as for the fort lee lanes dedicated to residence, i said they were dedicated to fort lee. i understand that there are people who get off the highway and drive to the neighborhoods to get the easier route to the george washington bridge. maybe once or twice i have done that in a previous life. i understand that. if i did, i misspoke that there were dedicated to fort lee residence. they are dedicated to the town of fort lee. my understanding for development was to relieve traffic congestion going to the bridge. that was my understanding at the time. it is an understanding i've only come in to knowledge of in the last number of months. even when i went that way couple of times years ago, i did not know that they were committed to fort lee or any of that history. you are going to follow-up on a two-part question? i did answer that. i said it appears that there was a traffic study that may have had behind it and ill or inappropriate motive. >> [indiscernible] >> i believe with the report t

mr. david wildstein and miss kelly some type of nefarious or inappropriate motivation for it. >> also todayattorney for bridget anne kelly the former aide hinted that kelly does have information she will only give to federal investigators. remember you can always follow what's going on here on twitter. tweet me at wolf blitzer. thanks very much for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in washington. erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. >>> next breaking news at this moment four search ships arriving at the possible crash site of flight 370. we have a live update from the commander of the search team. new information about the captain and co-pilot. hear the captain speak in his own words. >>> more breaking news tonight a tense phone call between president obama and vladimir putin. will obama's warnings stop russia from invading ukraine. let's go. >>> good evening i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight on this friday we begin with the breaking news, search ships at this moment arriving at the possible crash

because they either -- because some have pled the fifth in the case of bridget kelly and david wildstein. mrmpson from the port authority, they didn't interview. people have pokes holes in this. apart from christie, from christie's political purposes trying to pivot out of this story before heading out to las vegas it's meaningless in the sense we are all waiting for the actual investigations of the u.s. attorney and the new jersey legislature to make a final judgment about what has actually happened here and still some months ae away. >> john, was it smart for this document to come out first, you think, is it in christie's advantage to have at least a body of work that vindicates him as a u.s. attorney and the legislature looks at this more and produces a report? >> well, the one thing that i totally agree with rudy giuliani about is if christie had not undertaken some kind of internal review he would have been criticized for nap the fact there was an internal review was a necessary thing to satisfy his critics and people who are curious and feels there should be some accountability. no dou

wildstein's. it could be critical to identifying competing versions. they -- yesterday, mr.istie flew to las vegas to woo sheldon adelson. he made a gaffe and described the west bank as occupied territories. the israeli government and mr. ailsa and would not consider those regions to be occupied. christie apologized and adelson accepted. nothing like a little bridge gate to give you foot and mouth disease. next, we're going to turkey and its ban on social media. ♪ >> this is "lunch money" on bloomberg television, also streaming live on your tablet and smart phone. i'm adam johnson. today's moving pictures now, where the video is the story. u.s. secretary of state john kerry says russia has to pull its troops back from the ukraine border if progress is to be made. he met with his russian counterpart yesterday who stressed the u.s. position on ukraine. >> in a frank conversation this evening with the prime minister, i made clear the united states still considers the russian actions to be illegal and illegitimate and russians actions over the past several weeks have placed it a

mr. steppian was blameworthy this this incident. steppian's lawyer calls the gratuitous reference to his dating relationship to bridget kelly, a quote, unfortunate distraction. according to the report, wildstein says he told christie about it september 11th last year while the two were at a commemoration ceremony. last night, christie responded to those claims. >> i don't have any recollection of him saying anything. but i'll tell you this, i'll tell you what he didn't say, he didn't say, hey, by the way, governor, i'm closing down some lanes on the george washington bridge to stick it to the mayor, is that okay? that i'd remember. >> christie says he has not ruled out running for president telling abc news last night, i think they love me in iowa. but some critics are questioning the timing of the release ahead of a 2016 cattle call in las vegas, and critics charge the christie report is incomplete, though christie's lawyers say they interviewed him, the report does not include transcripts or details on precisely what he was asked or what he said. hoboken mayor dawn zimmer fired off a statement saying randy mastro could have written his report the day he was hired and save the taxpayers the

mr. stepien's choice." then a little later on in the report, "evidence in kelly's personal life may have had some bearing on her subjective motivations. her first known communication to david wildstein about the lane closures occurred around the time her relationship with bill stepien had cooled. apparently at bill stepien's behest and stepien and kelly largely stopped speaking. indeed, that fact may have affected how kelly and stepien conducted themselves." why is it relevant if these people were or were not having a relationship and how it was going? the relevance of this is never explained. it's just supposed to be self-evident, i guess, and they keep bring it up over and over and over again. look, here it is again on page 17. "given that stepien's personal relationship apparently cooled by stepien and kelly's personal relationship apparently cooled by early august 2013." i mean, essentially they're going throughout this report over and over again, did we mention that he dumped her? what possible relevance does that have to the issue of whether or not the chris christie administration abused its power by using the busiest bridge in the world as a weapon to attack a small town as

mr. samson's potential conflicts of interest amid questions over samson's votes to award bridge contracts to two large construction companies that have been represented by his law firm. and former port authority official david wildstein, a man who was heavily criticized in the internal christie report, wrote in the bridge-gate e-mails that samson was helping us to retaliate. as for bridget kelly, the statement from her lawyer today complained of, "venomous, gratuitous and inappropriate sexist remarks concerning miss kelly." christie's internal report speculated that kelly's role in the scandal may have been part of an emotional reaction following a breakup with former christie chief of staff bill stepien. in response to a question today about whether the report was fair to kelly, christie cast it as simply reflecting reality. >> i think the report laid out the facts as the investigators found them. and however anybody wants to interpret those is up to your particular interpretation. >> joining me now, my msnbc colleague, steve kornacki, host of "up" and mel lisissa hayes, statehouse reporter for "the record." steve, he me start with you. i hesitate to use the word bombshell, but it's kind of a bombshell in terms of d