Christie appointee must testify before state committee: Judge
Source: US News on NBC News.com
An appointee of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at the center of an apparent plan to strangle a town with traffic as an act of political payback lost a bid in court Thursday to avoid testifying before state lawmakers.
The appointee, David Wildstein, who went to high school with the governor, is scheduled to appear before a committee investigating why lanes that funnel traffic from Fort Lee, N.J., to the George Washington Bridge were closed in September.
Judge Mary C. Jacobson in Trenton made the ruling late Thursday morning. Lawyers for Wildstein had argued that the committee was exceeding its authority.
...
Wildstein was director of interstate capital projects for the Port Authority, the agency that runs the bridge. He resigned in December, saying that growing questions about the traffic jam had become a distraction.
Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/09/22243241-christie-appointee-must-testify-before-state-committee-judge
Additional Reporting: Judge rejects Christie appointee's subpoena fight
TRENTON, N.J. A judge shot down a motion to keep a former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey staffer from being forced to appear before an Assembly panel probing a growing scandal over access lane closures to the George Washington Bridge.
Wildstein "is not going to get a fair hearing" in the Assembly, said Alan Zegas, Wildstein's lawyer. In addition, Zegas called the subpoena "an abuse of power."
But Mercer County Assignment Judge Mary Jacobson disagreed. She said the New Jersey State Assembly's subpoena power is very broad, and the bridge controversy falls within it.
She sees "no reason for the court to assume any bad faith," she ruled. She also refused to stay the ruling, saying Wildstein's lawyers could go to the appelate division if they want to.
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)GodlessBiker
(6,314 posts)Gothmog
(145,554 posts)Too many people have mentioned criminal charges which gives the witness a good reason to invoke the 5th Amendment
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)He will have lots of practice before this drama is over
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)I expect that at some point, this guy will be given immunity and forced to testify
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)Wildstein and his lawyer are invoking the 5th Amendment to any and all questions right now.
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)There are two types of immunity grants: (i) transactional and (ii) use immunity. A grant of transactional immunity means that he could not be prosecuted. A grant of use immunity means that the testimony and any facts discovered due to the testimony can not be used. Oliver North was granted use immunity but later got off due to the fact that it was impossible to prove that the evidence used against him was not based on his testimony
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)His lawyer shamelessly threw that out there to the committee.
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)If use immunity is given to this person, you can expect him to sing like a bird so that he can later claim that any evidence that is used against him was derived from his testimony. This tactic work for Oliver North and a good defense counsel will try to use the same tactic
riverwalker
(8,694 posts)saw a small screen of it...anyone have a link to his testimony?
update here's link:
http://new.livestream.com/NJOLS/ATR1?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialmedia
George II
(67,782 posts)....anyone other than me notice a physical resemblance to a young Don Corleone with that under bite and swollen cheeks?
proverbialwisdom
(4,959 posts)another_liberal
(8,821 posts)And it hit the floor pretty hard too.
Response to another_liberal (Reply #7)
another_liberal This message was self-deleted by its author.
lark
(23,155 posts)This is going to get interesting!
George II
(67,782 posts)...."is this an email?"!
I don't know how that could be incriminating.
another_liberal
(8,821 posts)Last edited Thu Jan 9, 2014, 10:10 PM - Edit history (1)
It's all back on Christie.
Historic NY
(37,453 posts)as they begin to round up the suspects in a basket.