Well, that didn't take long. On Sunday morning, MSNBC's Steve Kornacki revealed evidence that a Port Authority police lieutenant drove David Wildstein through Fort Lee's snarled-up streets on the first day of the lane closures at the George Washington Bridge. Just hours after that report, Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye ordered an internal investigation into that cop's actions.
The probe will focus on reports that Port Authority Police Lt. Thomas "Chip" Michaels, a 15-year department veteran and member of the GWB unit, chauffeured David Wildstein through clogged Fort Lee streets on Sept. 9, the first of four days of closures, said the source, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Wildstein is the former Christie-backed Port Authority official who ordered the closure of two of three local-access lanes from Fort Lee to the bridge.
"The executive director has ordered the chief to review Michaels’ actions," the source said.
Foye gave the order to Chief Louis Koumoutsos in response to a MSNBC report that Michaels drove Wildstein around the borough. MSNBC also reported that Michaels is from Livingston, where Wildstein and Christie also grew up, and that Michaels coached Christie’s son in a youth hockey league.
In yet another case of exceptional timing, it seems that Michaels and the rest of the Port Authority police's bridge detail were aware of the closures before Foye knew about them. According to
The (Newark) Star-Ledger, Michaels' boss, bridge detail commander Darcy Licorish, found out about the planned closures on September 2 and emailed Koumoustos and the department's assistant chiefs about it. He was very concerned about their impact on traffic--but neither he nor anyone else alerted Foye about their concerns. On September 8, Michaels emailed Licorish to confirm that the closures were still a go. As we already know, Michaels and Wildstein were texting furiously before they met on September 9.
If Michaels doesn't have a lawyer already, he better get one and fast.