Ex-aide takes plea, 2 more allies of NJ gov face charges in 'Bridgegate' traffic-jam case
A former aide tof New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took a plea Friday and two more individuals were federally indicted in the so-called Bridgegate case over a claimed scheme to create traffic jams to punish a Democratic mayor of Fort Lee who didn’t endorse the Republican’s re-election.
The ex-aide, David Wildstein, pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark to civil rights conspiracy and conspiracy to “obtain by fraud, knowingly convert and intentionally misapply property of an organization receiving federal benefits,” according to Bloomberg and USA Today.
Meanwhile, indicted former Christie deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, 42, and Bill Baroni, 43, a former Port Authority deputy executive director, pleaded not guilty Monday to deprivation of civil rights, conspiracy and wire fraud charges. Each are free on $150,000 bond.
At issue in the case is a massive multiday traffic jam created by the closure of local lanes of the George Washington Bridge during the first week of school in 2013.
Wildstein, 53, admitted to U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton that he plotted with Baroni and Kelly to pursue the scheme, publicly blaming a traffic study for the gridlock.
Christie himself is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Christie’s account of bridge closings ‘rings true,’ Gibson Dunn report says”
Trentonian: “Bridgegate-indicted Bill Baroni leaves Hill Wallack law firm”
