Christie Scandal and Crisis Communications

Crisis communication is the art of reaching out to the public on behalf of a client whose public image is in desperate need of rehabilitation, whether through scandal, criminal charges, or public disinterest. Specialists in crisis communication are experts in arresting and reversing negative reactions before they snowball into disgraceful exits from public life and possible prison sentences. An examination of how it's done can be of use to anyone who's professionally engaged in the communications field.

The present Chris Christie scandal began in September 2013, when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shut down two of the three southbound lanes of the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan to Fort Lee, New Jersey. Ostensibly, this was a routine lane closure to allow a traffic study to be done on the bridge, but it had the effect of creating a horrific traffic snarl that tied commuters up for hours on the world's busiest motor bridge. Traffic into Fort Lee was severely curtailed for the day, and several emergency vehicles were unable to reach their destinations in a timely manner, arguably contributing to the death of at least one person.

Speculation among Democrats who were suspicious of Christie, the governor of New Jersey, began at once. The lane closure had come on suddenly, and no reason was apparent for it to have been ordered by David Wildstein, a confidante of Christie and head of the Port Authority by his appointment. Worse still, the mayor of Fort Lee, Mark Sokolich, had refused to endorse Christie for reelection. Suspicions grew that the lane closures were payback of some sort.

These suspicions were confirmed when confidential emails from Bridget Anne Kelley, a top Christie aide, surfaced. In an exchange with Wildstein, Kelley urged: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." The Chris Christie scandal had begun, and it was time for the governor's communications specialists to exercise damage control.

As a first step in any crisis communication strategy, demonstrating that the wrongdoers have been thoroughly punished and purged is critical to gain the public's trust. While Wildstein had already resigned before the leaked emails, Kelley was outright fired as soon as the news hit.

Phase two began when various New Jersey politicians began testifying under oath that Christie had earned a reputation for political revenge, and he or his aides had more or less openly tied disaster relief to endorsements and other favors. Dawn Zimmer, the mayor of Hoboken, complained that after she refused to endorse Christie for governor, her city received only $400,000—out of a fund of $127 million—for hurricane relief. Accusations also arose that the governor diverted aid money for a public relations campaign to raise his profile ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The governor's public reaction has been straight out of the crisis communication handbook. He steadfastly denies knowing anything about the charges, refuses to engage questions that he used Hurricane Sandy money to launch a publicity blitz for his own run at the White House, and is actively seeking media exposure to discuss his strengths and positive contributions as governor. When asked about his involvement in the scandal, he said, "I am soul searching on this."

Christie's handling of his rapidly multiplying scandals hasn't been perfect, however, and serious questions about his conduct haven't gone away. All the same, he has managed to so far avoid serious calls for his resignation, and his reputation might even recover from this setback in time for 2016. The governor's crisis communication strategy has been to disassociate from the guilty, deny all allegations, and appear contrite just in case. Time will tell whether his crisis communication with a still-angry public has been successful, but he certainly is hitting all the right notes.

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