U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman: Based On The Evidence That Is Currently Available To Us, We’re Not Going To Charge Anybody Else In This Scheme
Photo by Paul Scharff
Governor Chris Christie’s Office released the following statement in response to today’s guilty plea by David Wildstein, the indictments of former Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni and Bridget Ann Kelly, Christie’s former Deputy Chief of Staff, as well as U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s press conference:
Governor Christie has said from day one that he had no knowledge or involvement in the planning, motivation, authorization or execution of the decision to realign lanes on the George Washington Bridge. After fifteen months and three independent investigations, including those conducted by a partisan, Democratic-led joint committee and an outside law firm, that conclusion remains unchanged.
The key facts that came to light in the first quarter of 2014 have not changed in any material way, more than a year later. The individuals alleged to be responsible and facing charges today are David Wildstein, Bill Baroni and Bridget Kelly, and they were all separated from the Port Authority and the Governor’s Office more than 15 months ago.
Bridget Ann Kelly, texting, with Governor Chris Christie and Michelle Brown at Seaside Park fire, September 12, 2013. Photo credit: Phil Stilton, OCSignal.com
NEWARK — Two key figures in the Bridgegate scandal — Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly — were each indicted on nine counts, according to court documents unsealed Friday. Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Kelly, a former deputy chief of staff of Gov. Chris… Read the rest of this entry »
Alan Zegas, David Wildstein’s attorney, told the press today that Governor Chris Christie knew of the September 2013 George Washington Bridge Lane closures that have become known as Bridgegate while they were occurring.
“Mr. Christie know of the lane closures while they were occurring. Evidence exists to establish that,” Zegas said.
Christie has steadfastly denied any knowledge of or involvement in the lane closures which Wildstein confessed today were designed as political retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich , a Democrat, for refusing to endorse Republican Christie’s reelection.
NEWARK — Former Port Authority executive David Wildstein has pleaded guilty for his role in the closure of local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge. He admitted conspiring with Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly to “punish” Fort Lee mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing Gov. Chris Christie in his re-election bid. Wildstein will be… Read the rest of this entry »
There will be a proceeding of interest in a criminal matter related to the George Washington Bridge lane closures this morning at 11 a.m. in federal court in Newark and U. S. Attorney Paul Fishman will hold a press conference on the matter this afternoon at 1 PM, according to Fishman’s Public Information Office.
The U. S. Attorney’s Office did not announce who would be charged today or for what crimes.
NJ.comis reporting that a white SUV left the home of David Wildstein traveling at high speeds at 5 a.m. this morning. Bloomberg reported that Wildstein was to have pleaded guilty to charges yesterday. They later amended their report to say he would enter a guilty plea today.
WASHINGTON — Efforts to protect Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst from cutbacks or closure won approval by a key House committee when lawmakers denied funding to move or retire any of the KC-10 refueling tanker planes based there. The provision, authored by freshmen Reps. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd Dist.), whose district includes the joint base, and Donald Norcross (D-1st… Read the rest of this entry »
It turns out that the Bloomberg Business story that David Wildstein, Governor Chris Christie’s former #2 man at Port Authority of NY/NJ,would plead guilty to an unspecified federal charge associated with the Bridgegate scandal today, is not so.
U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s Public Affairs Office sends an email to the media every morning with a heads up of proceeding that are planned for the day. There was no proceedings including Wildstein in this morning’s email. I emailed Matthew Reilly, the Public Information Officer. “Nothing on Wildstein? Was the Bloomberg leak another false alarm?” “Nothing on Wildstein,” Reilly responded.
There were going to be Bridgegate indictments announced in December, January and March, according to mainstream press reports. They never happened.
Leaks out of the Justice Department have not been reliable since Chris Christie was U.S. Attorney.
Crowd gathered yesterday in New Brunswick for Gov. Chris Christie’s first press conference of the year. It was as if the circus had come to New Brunswick late Wednesday afternoon as Gov. Chris Christie held his first extended press conference of 2015. Dozens of reporters, a bank of TV cameras, and angry protesters were all on… Read the rest of this entry »
