Bridget Anne Kelly, former Deputy Chief of Staff for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, listens as her lawyer Michael Critchley talks to reporters after she was found guilty on all counts in the George Washington Bridge traffic trial at Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Court, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, in Newark, N.J.NEWARK, N.J. – Two former aides to Gov. Chris Christie were convicted Friday of creating an epic traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge for what prosecutors say was political revenge, capping a trial that cast doubt on Christie’s claims he knew nothing about the scheme.
Bridget Kelly, Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, a Christie appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, were found guilty of all counts against them. Kelly cried as the verdict was read; Baroni showed no emotion. Both defendants announced plans to appeal.
Christie said Friday that the verdict affirmed his decision to terminate Baroni and Kelly and that the jury held them responsible “for their own conduct.” He repeated his assertions that he had no knowledge of the plot and said he would “set the record straight” soon about “the lies told by the media and in the courtroom.”
“I had no knowledge prior to or during these lane realignments, and had no role in authorizing them,” Christiesaid. “No believable evidence was presented to contradict that fact. Anything said to the contrary over the past six weeks in court is simply untrue.”
Prosecutors said Kelly and Baroni plotted with Christie ally David Wildstein to close lanes at the foot of the nation’s busiest bridge – a span that connects New Jersey to New York City – and create gridlock in September 2013 to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for not endorsing Christie for re-election.