Ex-Christie allies to make court appearances in bridge case

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly and her attorney Michael Critchley, right, arrive for a news conference, Friday, May 1, 2015, in Livingston, N.J. Earlier Friday, federal prosecutors brought charges against three former allies of Gov. Chris Christie, but not Christie himself, in the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal, easing the legal threat that has hung over his 2016 White House ambitions for more than a year. One of those charged, David Wildstein, a former high-ranking official at the transportation agency that operates the bridge, pleaded guilty and accused the two other defendants, Kelly and Bill Baroni, who was the governor's top appointee at the Port Authority, of joining him in a politically motivated scheme to create huge traffic jams. Kelly and Baroni were charged in an indictment unsealed later Friday. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly and her attorney Michael Critchley, right, arrive for a news conference, Friday, May 1, 2015, in Livingston, N.J. Earlier Friday, federal prosecutors brought charges against three former allies of Gov. Chris Christie, but not Christie himself, in the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal, easing the legal threat that has hung over his 2016 White House ambitions for more than a year. One of those charged, David Wildstein, a former high-ranking official at the transportation agency that operates the bridge, pleaded guilty and accused the two other defendants, Kelly and Bill Baroni, who was the governor's top appointee at the Port Authority, of joining him in a politically motivated scheme to create huge traffic jams. Kelly and Baroni were charged in an indictment unsealed later Friday. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

By Associated Press May 4, 2015 1 min read

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – The investigation of politically motivated lane closures of the George Washington Bridge in September 2013 heads to court Monday.

Two former political allies of Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are scheduled to make initial appearances on a nine-count indictment.

Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, and his former top appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Bill Baroni, were charged Friday. Kelly and a lawyer for Baroni say they are innocent.

The same day, David Wildstein pleaded guilty to two criminal counts.

Wildstein admitted he helped plot lane closures in Fort Lee on an approach to the world’s busiest bridge as political payback against that community’s Democratic mayor for failing to support Christie’s re-election campaign.