Trump removes Chris Christie as chief of transition team

Republican US president-elect Donald Trump has removed New Jersey governor Chris Christie as leader of his transition team.

Mr Trump handed the reins over to vice president-elect Mike Pence, a former US politician with deep Washington ties, the New York Times reported on Friday.

The Times, citing several sources close to the transition team, said Mr Trump told advisers he wanted to use Pence’s contacts to move the transition process along. NBC News also reported the handover, which came one week after two former Christie associates were found guilty in the New Jersey “Bridgegate” scandal.

Bridgegate

Two former officials associated with Mr Christie were convicted on all charges linked to the Bridgegate episode.

Bridget Anne Kelly, Mr Christie’s former deputy chief of state, and Bill Baroni, a US-Irish citizen, were found guilty of conspiracy and wire fraud for the 2013 closure of traffic lanes to the George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey.

Prosecutors said it was an act of political revenge against a New Jersey Democratic mayor who refused to back the re-election of Mr Christie, a Republican

– (Reuters)