New Jersey: Gov. Christie Appointee Pleads Guilty In Bridge Closing

Chris Christie ally pleads guilty in Bridgegate case http://t.co/0sI6Xh1Fjl

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David Wildstein, former Port Authority official, has pled guilty to federal charges for his role in causing huge traffic issues at the Washington Bridge as retribution against a small town mayor who refused to endorse Gov. Chris Christie for reelection.

This comes after a 16 month federal investigation.

Wildstein was an appointee of Christie and former close ally.

From Mother Jones:

The guilty plea, from comes as federal prosecutors prepare to indict two others close to Christie for their roles in the incident—and as Christie prepares to make a bid for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. A New Jersey judge will unseal those indictments on Friday, the New York Times reports.

Wildstein's plea and the looming indictments are a result of a 16-month federal investigation into the George Washington Bridge scandal. In September 2013, Port Authority officials shut down several access lanes in the town of Fort Lee, New Jersey, setting off a mammoth traffic jam that lasted three days. Christie's office denied involvement. But the following January, a judge released texts and emails suggesting that Christie's inner circle masterminded the traffic debacle as political payback against Fort Lee's Democratic mayor.

Wildstein ordered the lane closures that led to the traffic jam. The Port Authority official, who went to high school with Christie, was described as the governor's "eyes and ears" inside the agency. But after the bridge scandal burst into public view, Christie sought to distance himself from Wildstein. Wildstein resigned his Port Authority position in December.

The messages released in January revealed that Bridget Anne Kelly, a top aide in Christie's administration, had also helped order the lane closures. The day of the traffic jam, Kelly wrote to Wildstein: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." "Got it," Wildstein replied. Christie has repeatedly denied having any prior knowledge of the lane closures.