New Jersey taxpayers on hook for $6.5 million to law firm hired by Christie in bridge scandal

New Jersey taxpayers are on the hook for more than $6.5 million to the law firm Gov. Chris Christie hired to represent his office in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal.

The state attorney general's office released recent bills from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher on Friday.

The law firm represents Christie's office in the state and federal investigations into last September's lane closures. It published a 350-page report in March that found Christie and his top staffers were not involved in the lane closures ordered by a former Christie aide, apparently as political retribution.

The report has been criticized by some as a whitewash.

Gibson Dunn earlier this year agreed to reduce its rate from the original agreement of $650 per hour to $350.

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Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), http://www.northjersey.com