Two former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were found guilty Friday by a federal jury of all charges related to the planned lane closures on the George Washington Bridge in 2013.
Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni Jr. were indicted in 2015 on nine counts of conspiracy, fraud and other charges. Both had pleaded not guilty.
Kelly, the governor’s former deputy chief of staff, had emailed a senior Port Authority official, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” to which he replied in the affirmative. That official, David Wildstein, pleaded guilty to two federal counts of conspiracy and was a witness for the prosecution.
As a Christie appointee to the Port Authority, Baroni told the New Jersey Assembly that the lane closures were for a traffic study — an excuse by the aides that was soon debunked.
The most serious charges for Kelly and Baroni can carry a maximum up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing begins next week.
The reason behind the closures was for political payback against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, Mark Sokolichl.
Though Christie has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the scandal, it was a constant nag during his failed run for the Republican presidential nomination this year.
