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POINT PLEASANT, N.J. — (Associated Press) - The law firm hired to defend Gov. Chris Christie's administration in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal has charged the state another $780,000 for work this summer. That's in addition to $6.5 million billed through April.
The Department of Law & Public Safety released new invoices Friday from the firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, which is representing Christie's office in state and federal investigations into last September's lane closures, which appear to be politically motivated. The New Jersey U.S. Attorney is investigating the allegations.
Gibson Dunn has charged the state more than $7 million so far, including $388,014 for May, $249,972 for June and $146,473 for July.
The new charges relate to "Subpoena Response/Internal Investigation," the invoices say.
The firm published a 350-page report in March that found Christie and his top staffers were not involved in the lane closure ordered by a former Christie aide. The report has been criticized by some as a whitewash.
Gibson Dunn earlier this year agreed to reduce its rate from $650 per hour to the current rate of $350.
The firm also billed nearly $3 million for representing the state in the second half of 2013 as Christie sought to overturn a federal ban on sports gambling in New Jersey.
