GWB probe: Judge orders Christie law firm to turn over recordings of interviews with state officials
Source: NorthJersey.com (The Record)
JULY 10, 2015, 6:11 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015, 6:32 PM
BY SHAWN BOBURG THE RECORD
A federal judge has ordered a law firm that wrote a report on the George Washington Bridge lane closures for Governor Christie’s office to turn over any handwritten notes or recordings of interviews it conducted with dozens of administration officials during its investigation.
The notes had been requested by attorneys for two former Christie allies who are now fighting federal criminal charges, the governor’s onetime deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, and former Port Authority deputy executive director, Bill Baroni. They told the judge that the materials, which summarize how the office handled the controversy in 2013, could be important to their defense. Kelly and Baroni are charged with conspiring to close two of three local access lanes onto the bridge to gridlock the town of Fort Lee because the mayor, Mark Sokolich, did not endorse Christie for governor.
The Gibson Dunn report concluded that Kelly and former Port Authority executive David Wildstein, who already pleaded guilty to federal charged, had an unknown ulterior motive for closing the lanes. The report, which cost taxpayers at least $7.5 million and was commissioned by Christie, found no evidence the closings were for political retribution. But nearly a year after the report’s release, federal prosecutors said it was political payback. Wildstein also admitted that was the reason when he pleaded guilty earlier this year.
“Ms. Kelly has always maintained that she was never involved in any effort to punish Mayor Sokolich for not endorsing the governor,” Michael Critchley, Kelly’s attorney, said Friday. “We anticipate that the Gibson Dunn notes will back up what Ms. Kelly has maintained and what Mr. Mastro stated during his Mar. 27, 2014 press conference when he said, ‘The evidence does not establish that the ulterior motive was to target Mayor Sokolich because he did not endorse Governor Christie for re-election. In fact, there’s substantial contrary evidence’.”
Read more: http://www.northjersey.com/news/gwb-probe-judge-orders-christie-law-firm-to-turn-over-recordings-of-interviews-with-state-officials-1.1372484
This may bring the arrogant big guy down (and his mob) for good.
Shawn Broburg should get a Pulitzer for his coverage of this scandal over the last 18+ months.
= new reply since forum marked as read
"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," read an email message from the deputy, Bridget Anne Kelly, dated Aug. 13, nearly a month before the Sept. 9-13 closures, which snarled traffic and sparked a scandal that has drawn national attention" was not politically motivated..then what the hell was it! -
Christie is as guilty as hell - and he wants to be president of the United States////hahahahahahahahah
