Two prominent Republican politicians, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, said Sunday that they do not think New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie should step down from his post as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
Christie has been under fire since emails from high-ranking officials in his administration came to light tying those officials to major lane closures in Fort Lee, N.J., as political payback against the town's mayor. On Thursday, the lawyer for David Wildstein, a former official with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, wrote in a letter that "evidence exists" to tie Christie directly to the scandal.
Replying to a question from Candy Crowley on CNN's "State of the Union," Jindal said, "I don't think he should step down. I think he should stay there."
Likewise, Ryan defended Christie on ABC's "This Week," saying that "nothing has been proven" as to whether Christie himself was involved in or knew about his deputies' actions.
But Jindal, who chaired the Republican Governors Association last year and is currently vice chairman of the organization, also downplayed the role of the chairman. "The fact is that in the RGA, no one governor is more important than another," he said.
Jindal, Ryan and Christie are all considered possible contenders for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.
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