NJ Gov, Chris Christie, knew about George Washington bridge closing, a month ahead of event – Former Dep Chief of Staff, Bridget Kelly, breaks down on the stand
Bridgegate defendant Bridget Kelly paints ex-boss Chris Christie as a growling, menacing bully
Claims she was physically intimidated of her boss
Says Chris Christie threw a water bottle at her amid the GWB lane closures
Kelly claims bridge closing was idea from David Wildstein, she informed Gov Christie and he was ok with the action
Said she was overwhelmed with her new job as a top Christie aide and frightened to incur his wrath
Put her infamous “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” email down to a poor choice of words 
Chris Christie, addressing the media in the wake of the George Washington Bridge scandal repeatedly denied having prior knowledge of the bridge closure
Kelly who all along refused to testify in the case was taking the stand for the first time. However, in the wake of the prosecution’s star witness, former Port Authority official David Wildstein, pleading not guilty to masterminding the plot and testifying against the former Christie allies.
Prosecution star witness, former Port Authority official David Wildstein, who pled guilty to masterminding the plot. He has testified against the former Christie allies, but they say it was all about him
The statement was in sharp contrast to Christie’s repeated denied that he had any knowledge or involvement in the lane closures.
“He didn’t really react,” Kelly claimed. “He said that’s fine.”
But Christie did ask about the administration’s “relationship” with Sokolich., Kelly said.
“I didn’t know,” Kelly testified. “I really didn’t know.”
Throughout her testimony, Kelly portrayed herself as a political scapegoat. In the lead-up to the lane closures, she said, she was overwhelmed with her new job as a top Christie aide and frightened to incur his wrath.
Highlighting her low position in the Christie inner caucus, kelly said she had a great sense of inmidation in the presence of her former boss,
Kelly said she was discussing the program for a press conference related to a fire in the Jersey Shore town of Seaside Heights when Christie exploded at her three years ago.
“He had a water bottle in his hand and he said, ‘What the f–k do you think I am? A f—–g game show host,” Kelly said, her voice cracking.
The governor then hurled the bottle at her, Kelly testified.
“I moved out of the way and it hit my arm,” the sobbing mother of four added.
“You’re afraid of the governor?” defense lawyer Michael Critchley asked her.
“Yes, yes,” she replied.
The temper eruption took place in Sept. 2013 as the politically-motivated lane closures were underway. The bridge scandal blew up four months later after a now-infamous email sent by Kelly was made public.
“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” it read.
The bottle-throwing incident wasn’t the only time Kelly was the target of Christie’s vitriol.
She testified that Christie erupted after he asked her if she had followed through in canceling meetings with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop.
Bridget Anne Kelly, former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Chris Christie, arrived with her lawyer, Michael Critchley, in Federal District Court in Newark, Friday
“He had a water bottle in his hand and he said, ‘What the f–k do you think I am? A f—–g game show host,” Kelly said of Christie, her voice cracking.
“I said, ‘Yes, governor,’” Kelly said, breaking down once again. “He said no one’s entitled to a f—–g meeting.”
The portrait dovetailed an earlier testimony at the trial by Kelly’s former subordinate Christina Renna. It was revealed that Christie was incensed when a picture of a box of the sweet treats resembling Krispy Kremes that said “Christie Creme” on it went public, Kelly’s Testified earlier this month.
An intern in Christie’s office made the doughnuts in June 2013 as part of team-building bakeoff exercise orchestrated by Kelly.
Chris Christie aides disrobing him at GWB. Bridget Anne Kelly said she was discussing a press conference related to a fire in the Jersey Shore town of Seaside Heights when Christie exploded at her three years ago.
Kelly said David Wildstein had told her on the phone on Aug. 12 that he had obtained the approvals for the ‘Traffic study’. He told her that he had run the idea past Bill Stepien, the governor’s campaign manager, and asked her to run it past the governor. And, she said, he put a cherry on top: Once the study was complete, they would hold a celebratory event at the bridge, where the governor, then in the thick of his re-election campaign, would be able to trumpet how he had eased traffic across the world’s busiest bridge, a bane of commuters. There would be banners saying, “Thanks, Governor Christie.”
“It was a little crazy, but this is what he wanted to do, to tout the success of what he believed was going to be a very successful study,” she said.
She said she ran the traffic study by the governor, later that day.
“I really saw it as I was giving him an fyi, and if he was not okay with it, he would have said, ‘No, don’t do it,” Kelly said.
In her testimony, Kelly said she discussed the traffic Study later that day with Christie who gave no hint that the lane closures were improper.
“The governor said the Port Authority was handling it and that David had been in touch with Fort Lee, which is exactly what David had told me,” Kelly testified.
Expressing her regret over the wording of the infamous email that blew open the scandal.
Kelly said she sent the letter to Wildstein immediately after she got the greenlight from Christie on Aug. 12.
“I sent an email parroting exactly what David Wildstein told me,” Kelly said. “Traffic problems were two words that went together when you talked to David about the Port Authority.”
Prompted by her attorney, Michael Critchley: “Poor choice of words?” Kelly reponded “Very.”
Leave a Reply