Christie, State Sen. Weinberg Trade Barbs Over Leaked Emails Involving DNC

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Fallout erupted Tuesday evening after Wikileaks released emails concerning Gov. Chris Christie and a leading New Jersey Democrat.

Christie called for action Tuesday after he said some hacked emails showed the Democratic National Committee wrote statements for state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), in which she was quoted as criticizing the governor for his role in Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Christie said of the emails: "I believe they need to be investigated. I think we need to see whether or not taxpayer money was used to advance the DNC's political agenda to attack me right after my reelection."

Weinberg fired back Tuesday.

"Regardless of how many tantrums the governor throws behind a podium, I am not going to back down from my criticism of his policies or of his treatment of the residents of the state as a backdrop to his campaigns for national office. I do find it kind of peculiar that during the entire Bridgegate scandal, from the day it happened to now, the governor never asked the Attorney General or any member of law enforcement to look into it. But he is now calling for an investigation into a press release.

She added that the DNC had indeed asked her to issue a statement about Christie, but she had thought it was perfectly appropriate to do so.

"I did not agree to the initial statement but decided that, given his history of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds while campaigning across the country for the (Republican Governors Association), it was appropriate to call on him to refrain from doing the same as he traveled in support of Donald Trump," Weinberg said in the statement.