WH: No involvement expected in bridge probe

The White House said Thursday it would not be involved in any federal investigation into New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) or his staff over the controversial closing of the George Washington Bridge last year.

{mosads}”I do not imagine this would be something that, as a rule, would involve a White House or a president,” press secretary Jay Carney told reporters.

Carney said he had not spoken to Obama about the controversy and did not know if the president had watched any of Christie’s nearly two-hour-long press conference on Thursday.

During that press conference, Christie apologized for the conduct of his staff and campaign team, after it was revealed his deputy chief of staff might have ordered a traffic study of the bridge in retribution for the mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., refusing to endorse Christie’s reelection campaign.

“I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team,” Christie said Thursday morning. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the conduct that they exhibited is completely unacceptable and showed an inappropriate respect for the role of government.”

Christie announced he had fired his staffer, Bridget Anne Kelly and was withdrawing the nomination of his former campaign manager, Bill Stepien, as the head of the state’s Republican Party.

At the White House, Carney said the situation sounded “very much like a state matter.”

“There’s certainly nothing that involves the White House with this issue,” Carney said.