TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says that a top aide misled him about her role in apparent political retribution against a town mayor and that he knew nothing about the situation.

Emails and text messages released Wednesday link Christie aides and political appointees to traffic jams in the town of Fort Lee in September that appear to have been engineered as political payback.

Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich says the decision to close two lanes leading to the heavily trafficked George Washington Bridge was "done with venom" and is a "prime example of political pettiness."

Christie said in a statement several hours later that the behavior is inappropriate and that staffers will be held responsible.

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