Former Aide Testifies Gov. Christie Knew About Bridge Closings In Advance

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Bridget Kelly, a former top aide to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, testified in court today that the governor knew about planned bridge closings in August of 2013 a month before they occurred.

Via NPR.org:

Kelly is on trial for federal charges that range from conspiracy to wire fraud. She's the author of the infamous email about the September 2013 lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, and her message in that email — "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" — has been seen as proof that the closures of crucial roads leading into New York City weren't just a mishap of planning, but an attempt to punish Fort Lee's mayor for not endorsing Christie during his re-election campaign.

Kelly, who was fired as Christie's deputy chief of staff in the fallout from the scandal, testified on her own behalf Friday, saying Christie had consented to the Port Authority's plan to shut down the roads for four days — a plan that not only ruined commuters' trips but also frustrated ambulances' attempts to transport patients.

Today, Kelly gave new details about the scandal, and about Christie's behavior. Via Twitter, Andrea Bernstein of member station WNYC reports that under questioning by her defense attorney, Kelly testified:

• That she told Christie about the closings one month before they occurred, and that they were expected to cause "tremendous" problems;

• That Christie's main response was to ask "What's our relationship with Mayor Sokolich?" — referring to Mayor Mark Sokolich of Fort Lee;

• That Kelly also talked with Christie about Mayor Sokolich's public safety complaints over the closures while traffic was still snarled;

•That during a meeting in Seaside Heights, Christie flew into a rage over being asked by Kelly to introduce people, and asked her, "What do you think I am, a ****ing game show host?" Kelly was in tears as she said Christie then threw a water bottle at her that struck her in the arm.

Gov. Christie has maintained he knew nothing about the bridge closings.

Christie, a high-level Donald Trump advisor,  has been noticeably absent from the presidential campaign for some time now.

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Federal Prosecutors: Chris Christie Knew About Washington Bridge Closings

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Federal prosecutors told jurors today that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie knew about the Washington Bridge closings back in 2013 for political payback.

Via Politico:

Gov. Chris Christie was told of the George Washington Bridge lane closures as they were occurring in 2013, a federal prosecutor told jurors on Monday in U.S. District Court.

David Wildstein, who has already pleaded guilty to playing a role in the incident, and Bill Baroni, who is now on trial for his alleged role in the scheme, “bragged” about the traffic gridlock that lane closures were causing when they spoke with the Republican governor at a Sept. 11 memorial in Lower Manhattan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said.

The two Christie-appointed former Port Authority officials mentioned the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, Mark Sokolich, whom they are accused to trying to punish after he refused to endorse Christie’s reelection campaign, the prosecutor said.

“The evidence will show that Baroni and Wildstein were so committed to their plan that, during the precious moments they had alone with the governor, they bragged about the fact that there were traffic problems in Fort Lee and that Mayor Sokolich was not getting his calls returned,” Khanna told jurors during his opening remarks on Monday morning.

Khanna did not elaborate on what was allegedly said during the conversation with Christie, but told jurors that “evidence in this case may show that others could have, should have, perhaps knew certain aspects of what was going on.”

Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, were indicted last May on charges of conspiracy, fraud and civil rights violations.

Christie is currently a top advisor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Former Chris Christie Aide: "He Flat Out Lied" About BridgeGate

The Hill is reporting that a former aide to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie texted a colleague in 2013 that the governor lied about

Christine Renna, who worked under Christie’s deputy chief of staff, made the claim in a text message to Peter Sheridan, a Christie campaign aide in 2013.

The text was sent during a 2013 press conference in which the governor denied that his administration was involved in lane closures on the George Washington Bridge.

The text message was released Wednesday in a new court filing, first reported by NorthJersey.com and posted online by Politico, in the case against Bill Baroni, a former Port Authority official, and Christie’s former deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly over the closures.

“Are you listening? He just flat out lied about senior staff and [former deputy chief of staff Bill] Stepien not being involved,” Renna said in the text sent on Dec. 13, 2013, according to a transcript.

“I’m listening,” Sheridan replied. “Gov is doing fine. Holding his own up there.”

“Yes. But he lied,” Renna texted back. “And if emails are found with the subpoena or [campaign] emails are uncovered in discovery if it comes to that it could be bad.”

Renna later deleted the text messages.

Christie's campaign manager was fired a month after that press conference when it was found he knew about the lane closings.

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

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

— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) May 1, 2015

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.

David Letterman's "Top Ten Highlights from Chris Christie's Press Conference"

Well, you saw this one coming a mile away.....

Cover of the New York Post today: "Ignorance is Chris"

The main story covering what is now being called "BridgeGate" goes on to say that six people caught up in the traffic jam caused by Gov. Chris Christie staff members:

The six commuters, who are all from Bergen County, were “trapped on local roads” and were either late or missed work between Sept. 9 and Sept. 12 when Christie’s senior aide Bridget Anne Kelly conspired with a Port Authority official David Wildstein to shut down two of the three lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, the suit says.

Meanwhile, New Jersey’s top lawman on Thursday ordered a federal criminal investigation into the saga.