Chris Christie Goes Scorched Earth On The New York Times And Former Ally

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Chris Christie

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

After a tenuous defense Friday night, the office of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie blasted The New York Times and former Port Authority official David Wildstein, whose lawyer on Friday said that "evidence exists" implicating Christie in the George Washington Bridge scandal.

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Christie's office wrote an email to political allies and friends entitled, "5 Things You Should Know About The Bombshell That's Not A Bombshell," which was obtained by Politico's Mike Allen.

Christie's office first attacked The New York Times, which first obtained the letter from Alan Zegas, Christie's attorney. The Times changed the lede of its story from saying Wildstein had the evidence to the more passive "evidence exists."

"A media firestorm was set off by sloppy reporting from the New York Times and their suggestion that there was actually "evidence" when it was a letter alleging that 'evidence exists,'" Christie's office wrote in the email.

The next four points in the email defended Christie and attacked Wildstein. The email dug into Wildstein's background - including a mention of a time when, as a 16-year-old, he sued over a local school board election.

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The email also noted that Wildstein has been looking for immunity. His lawyer, Zegas, has said that Wildstein has a "story to tell" if he were granted immunity.

"Bottom line - David Wildstein will do and say anything to save David Wildstein," the email reads.