Kelly sent an email in August 2013 saying, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” after confirming that Sokolich would not endorse Christie, according to prosecutors.
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Although there were plenty of other details the attorneys rolled out, the accusation that Christie, who has continually denied any knowledge of the lane closings, might have been aware of the them while they were happening was the most shocking statement of the day.
Khanna also said Mr. Wildstein will testify that he told Gov. Christie about the plan to close lanes on the George Washington Bridge while it was causing traffic problems.
Monday was the first time the allegations have been made in court. in the case, which has become known as “Bridgegate”.
Kelly, 44, is Christie’s former deputy chief of staff and Baroni, 44, is the governor’s former top executive appointee at the Port Authority.
Jurors began hearing opening statements Monday in Newark in the case against Bill Baroni and Bridget Kelly.
Baroni’s lawyer, Michael Baldassare, called Wildstein a liar and “a awful person, a vindictive individual who would destroy your life”.
“They specifically found he was motivated because what he saw in Trenton made him sick”, said Baldassare of the FBI’s assessment of Baroni’s contributions. It remains to be seen if new information has been uncovered or if the trial will be used as a political weapon. “They were interacting on a very close level”. “Those are words that didn’t come from David Wildstein’s mouth, those are words that came from Chris Christie’s mouth”.
Chris Christie joined a team of celebrities at Yankee Stadium and 17,000 fans Wednesday, June 3, 2015 for a charity softball game to honor slain police officers.
Baldassare also said “it’s laughable” that Baroni brought Wildstein into the Port Authority, as Christie repeatedly has said. The Republican governor has said he didn’t know about the Bridgegate plot. “David Wildstein, based on this evidence, looks like a ventriloquist sitting on Christopher J. Christie’s lap”.
When asked whether Monday’s assertions mean charges could be coming for Christie, Reilly said, “We have not filed any charges and we never discuss whether we will/won’t file charges”.
Defense lawyers have admitted that Christie knew about the scandal, having been told at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in Lower Manhattan in 2013. “But the fact is that I won’t because I really don’t have any knowledge of this incident at all”. Mayor Sokolich, a Democrat, had previously indicated he would not endorse Christie in his gubernatorial re-election bid, a stance that angered Christie’s office that had been trying to present him as a genuinely bipartisan politician. The lanes remained closed until September 13, despite Fort Lee declaring that the closure and resulting gridlock was a threat to public safety. Wildstein responded: “Got it”. “He told me to have the mayor call Baroni”.
“The defendants abused their powers”, Khanna said. “Not only was that conduct mean-spirited, and vindictive, it was illegal”. “My God, does she wish that”.
A jury is to decide if traffic gridlock which paralysed part of New Jersey for four days was a criminal conspiracy cooked up for political revenge. The organization is the Port Authority of NY and New Jersey, which runs area bridges, tunnels and transit hubs and where Baroni served as deputy executive director.
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Khanna said Wildstein always acted after getting Baroni’s approval; of the GWB lane closures, he said: “Baroni, he blessed it”. The wire fraud and conspiracy charges carry a maximum of a 20-year prison term. “In 2013, Wildstein took political directions from Gov. Chris Christie’s office. and in doing so, he took directions from Bridget Kelly”. Although her title was deputy chief of staff, she wasn’t involved in policy decisions. It’s safe to say quite a few GOP officials are relieved this morning that the New Jersey governor didn’t make the cut.
