NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – The law firm representing Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s office in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case on Thursday attacked defense attorneys’ requests to view materials, including his cellphone.
The parties are arguing in front of a federal judge over a subpoena by two former Christie allies who are charged with closing the lanes to create traffic jams in 2013 to punish a Democratic mayor for not endorsing Christie.
The former allies, Bill Baroni and Bridget Kelley, claim the Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher law firm didn’t produce relevant documents as required by a government subpoena. They have pointed to Christie’s cellphone because a former aide said she texted with the governor during testimony by bridge officials to a legislative committee. The texts were deleted.
Attorney Randy Mastro told a judge Thursday that the firm fully complied with a government subpoena. He said granting the defendants’ subpoena would essentially award them a search warrant to look at the personal devices of Christie and others in his office.
When asked by District Judge Susan Wigenton about whether Christie’s phone was searched, Mastro replied it was searched “in coordination with a forensic firm.” He didn’t say who has the phone now.