NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – The sentencing of two former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for creating traffic jams at the busiest bridge in the U.S. for political revenge may not prevent the scandal from hanging over the Republican’s final year in office.
“I will not allow myself to be the scapegoat in this case,” Bridget Kelly told reporters after the sentencing Wednesday, where her attorney pointed out that testimony that she told Christie about the traffic jams while they were happening was never contradicted.
Kelly, Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Bill Baroni, Christie’s appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was sentenced to two years. Both are appealing their convictions. They were charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and other offenses for causing the gridlock near the George Washington Bridge in September 2013 to punish a Democratic mayor who didn’t endorse Christie’s re-election.
A spokesman for Christie, who was not charged, responded after Kelly’s testimony in October that he had “no knowledge prior to or during” the lane realignment. She testified that he authorized what she claimed was a traffic study.
The scandal sank Christie’s White House bid and likely cost him the chance to be President Donald Trump’s running mate. Christie has since turned his attention in his final year in office to addressing the state’s opioid epidemic, and on Wednesday he was at the White House, where he was selected to lead a drug addiction task force. While his press office hyped up the White House event, it did not comment on Wednesday’s sentencing.