New Jersey's outspoken republican Governor Chris Christie is in serious damage control mode. A September 2013 traffic scandal, involving his staff, took place as confirmed by emails which came to light yesterday. Christie's Deputy Chief of Staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, colluded with public officials to shut down access lanes on the Fort Lee, NJ side of the bustling George Washington Bridge.

Fort Lee's Democratic Mayor Mark Sokolich did not support Governor Christie's successful reelection bid last year. Sokolich has also rebuffed the Governor's attempts at burying the hatchet. The lane closures were put in place to punish Sokolich and inconvenience the residents of Fort Lee, NJ. One woman died while on an ambulance that was waiting to cross the bridge that day. While she likely would have passed away anyway, according to officials, who could know for certain? Governor Christie has since fired Kelly. Criminal charges may be filed against Kelly and the officials responsible due to the incident according to the Chicago Tribune.

Governor Christie's addressed the scandal during a hastily arranged press conference this morning. His domineering personality wasn't on display and he instead portrayed a much more reconciliatory tone while publicly apologizing for his staff's actions. Addressing the scandal head on was necessary, but the ill effects of this scandal may follow Christie.

"What did I do wrong to make these folks think it was okay to lie?" Christie said. "What I want the people of New Jersey to know is that this is the exception, not the rule."

Governor Christie continued by saying how humiliating this has been for him.

"I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team," Christie said. "I am who I am, but I am not a bully," he told the media at a hastily thrown together press conference.

Will Christie be able to overcome this latest hiccup in his road to a potential White House bid? Health issues have made some pundits question Christie's willpower, and a testy exchange with Jersey Shore alum Snooki on a boardwalk this past summer portrayed the governor as a bully. This corruption case calls into question Christie's leadership, and that is a serious problem. If the Governor cannot control his worker bees in New Jersey's capital city of Trenton, how will he be able to control a sprawling administration in D.C.? Odd enough, the L.A. Times called Gov. Christie's staff tight-knit.

Do you believe that Chris Christie's future political career is in jeopardy? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.