[OANN] A New Jersey judge on Thursday refused to dismiss a citizen’s criminal complaint against Governor Chris Christie over the "Bridgegate" scandal but ordered a lower court to review it to determine whether the case should continue.Bergen County Superior Court Judge Bonnie Mizdol rejected Christie’s request to toss the complaint outright. But she agreed with both Christie’s lawyers and county prosecutors that a lower court judge erroneously denied the governor’s attorney an opportunity to participate in a prior hearing in October.
The complaint was filed in September by Bill Brennan, a retired firefighter and activist who recently announced he would run for governor this year.
Brennan accused Christie of knowing about a plot to close lanes at the George Washington Bridge in 2013 in order to punish a local mayor for failing to endorse Christie’s re-election bid.
Two former Christie allies were convicted last year of orchestrating the plot, and U.S. prosecutors introduced evidence at trial suggesting the governor was at least aware of the scheme. Christie, who has not been charged by prosecutors, has steadfastly denied that he knew about the closures at the time.
