# Bridge-gate Trial: FINALLY **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 22, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601 "2016-09-22T21:18:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/1 "2016-09-22T21:18:31Z")
It looks like, years later, its finally in a courtroom. Cites: > **[Mayor: I lied about Bridgegate for fear of Christie payback](https://nypost.com/2016/09/21/mayor-i-lied-about-bridgegate-for-fear-of-christie-payback/)** > > Fort Lee’s mayor testified Wednesday that he lied when he insisted in a letter to a New Jersey newspaper that the George Washington Bridge lane closures weren’t an act of political payb… > **[Gridlock, politics and 2 outright lies in Bridgegate trial](https://www.nj.com/news/2016/09/3_lies_exposed_in_bridgegate_criminal_trial.html)** > > By the third day of the Bridgegate trial, public officials admitted to lies. Here are 2 of them. > **[Wildstein 'terrorized' P. A. employees, director testifies at Bridgegate trial](https://www.nj.com/news/2016/09/bridgegate_wildstein_foye_fire.html)** > > Director says he believed the government's star witness was protected by Christie. > **[Port Authority boss admits he signed off on bogus GWB 'traffic study'...](https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/gov-christie-official-wanted-bridge-lanes-remain-closed-article-1.2800851)** > > Patrick Foye admitted to lying during the Bridgegate scandal, while defense lawyers accused him of using the scandal for political gain. > **[Bridgegate trial stirs Chris Christie impeachment risk](https://www.app.com/story/news/politics/new-jersey/chris-christie/2016/09/22/bridgegate-trial-chris-christie-impeachment-risk/90837244/)** > > Federal prosecutors allege that Christie knew about the 2013 scheme to close George Washington Bridge lanes as it took place. So… is Christie Guilty? Not Guilty? Do you think there will be any surprises? If Chris Christie is impeached (and technically that is possible) could it pull down Trump’s numbers? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/2 "2016-09-23T14:05:26Z")
I’m still confused. What is the actual law alleged to have been committed? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/3 "2016-09-23T14:08:59Z")
Since Christie isn’t on trial, no one’s going to find him guilty. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/4 "2016-09-23T14:19:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I’m still confused. What is the actual law alleged to have been committed? “Baroni and Kelly are each charged with conspiring to misuse, and actually misusing, property of an organization receiving federal benefits; conspiring to commit, and actually committing, wire fraud; conspiring to injure and oppress certain individuals’ civil rights, and acting under color of law to deprive certain individuals of their civil rights.” > **[Former Deputy Executive Director Of Port Authority And Former Deputy Chief Of...](https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/former-deputy-executive-director-port-authority-and-former-deputy-chief-staff-nj-governor)** ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/5 "2016-09-23T15:20:41Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > “Baroni and Kelly are each charged with conspiring to misuse, and actually misusing, property of an organization receiving federal benefits; conspiring to commit, and actually committing, wire fraud; conspiring to injure and oppress certain individuals’ civil rights, and acting under color of law to deprive certain individuals of their civil rights.” > > [https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/former-deputy-executive-director-port-authority-and-former-deputy-chief-staff-nj-governor](https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/former-deputy-executive-director-port-authority-and-former-deputy-chief-staff-nj-governor) For blocking traffic? What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/6 "2016-09-23T16:00:13Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > For blocking traffic? What am I missing? I’m not sure what you’re missing. Are there parts of the DOJ press release that are unclear? I think it’s a reasonably concise summary of the charges. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/7 "2016-09-23T16:05:14Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > For blocking traffic? What am I missing? Deliberately fucking up traffic endangered the lives of people, effectively cutting them off from some emergency services. The GW Bridge is an enormously expensive public asset, and depriving people from its use in an act of political retribution honestly doesn’t seem wrong to you? ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/8 "2016-09-23T17:13:02Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Deliberately fucking up traffic endangered the lives of people, effectively cutting them off from some emergency services. The GW Bridge is an enormously expensive public asset, and depriving people from its use in an act of political retribution honestly doesn’t seem wrong to you? And the misusing of property is covered by the misuse of “…Port Authority property, including the time and services of unwitting Port Authority personnel and other resources…” ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/9 "2016-09-23T17:16:56Z")
It might be worth noting that both defense lawyers and prosecutors agree that Christie knew about the bridge lane closings. The defense originally said as much because they want Christie blamed instead of their clients, but prosecutors recently said the same about Christie’s knowledge of the scheme. [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/nyregion/bridgegate-trial.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/nyregion/bridgegate-trial.html) > [@](#): > > Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey knew that three of his top officials were involved in a plan to shut down lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge as it was happening and that the closings were intended to punish a local mayor for declining to support him, federal prosecutors said on Monday. > > The assertion was an unexpected and startling beginning to the trial of two former Christie administration officials charged with closing the lanes in 2013 and then covering it up. And it was a surprising claim because of the side of the courtroom it came from, as lawyers made opening statements. > > Defense lawyers have long argued that Mr. Christie, a Republican, and his top advisers were well aware of the lane closings and that they directed the cover-up as they tried to protect the governor’s political aspirations — saying their clients were “thrown under the presidential bus,” as one lawyer argued on Monday. > > But this was the first time a prosecutor had pointed a finger at Mr. Christie. And it directly contradicts the governor’s statements in the three years since the lanes were mysteriously closed, paralyzing the borough of Fort Lee, N.J. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/10 "2016-09-24T02:01:16Z")
And we have testimony that Christie was directly involved in using the Port Authority for his electoral gain. [ufl=[http://www.northjersey.com/news/wildstein-christie-aides-used-port-authority-as-goody-bag-to-get-endorsements-1.1665806](http://www.northjersey.com/news/wildstein-christie-aides-used-port-authority-as-goody-bag-to-get-endorsements-1.1665806)]Cite. > [@](#): > > As the deputy executive director, Baroni was Christie’s top appointee at the agency, which owns and operates the bridge. > > Wildstein said his job was to “advance Governor Christie’s agenda” at the agency and being a “very aggressive” person that meant taking on the role of “bad cop when it was necessary to move something forward.” Meanwhile, Christie’s favorability rating is down to 23%, worse than Bush’s at the end, and [there is talk of impeachment.](http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2016/09/bridgegate-trial-105758) Maybe this will come up in the debate. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/11 "2016-09-24T02:46:59Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The GW Bridge is an enormously expensive public asset, and depriving people from its use in an act of political retribution honestly doesn’t seem wrong to you? What were they being retributed for? ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/12 "2016-09-24T02:53:28Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > What were they being retributed for? Do you really not know this? Post #9 in this very thread has that information. Both the prosecution and defense agree on this. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/13 "2016-09-24T06:54:23Z")
Sorry, but I’m with **Saint Cad** here - one should be able to follow a thread without having to click on a lot of links, and asking for further details should not be met with disdain from other posters who know the answers but can’t be bothered to share that info. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/14 "2016-09-24T07:38:35Z")
Post #9 quoted the exact information **Saint Cad** asked for in post #11. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/15 "2016-09-24T09:23:50Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Sorry, but I’m with **Saint Cad** here - one should be able to follow a thread without having to click on a lot of links, and asking for further details should not be met with disdain from other posters who know the answers but can’t be bothered to share that info. **Saint Cad** has participated in threads on this subject before. He knows what we’re talking about. He’s trying to make some sort of point. And, yes, there is directly quoted information in this thread that answers his question. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/16 "2016-09-24T10:54:08Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > What were they being retributed for? The mayor of Fort Lee was being punished for not endorsing Christie. But I suspect you may have already heard. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/17 "2016-09-24T12:15:27Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Sorry, but I’m with **Saint Cad** here - one should be able to follow a thread without having to click on a lot of links, and asking for further details should not be met with disdain from other posters who know the answers but can’t be bothered to share that info. He asked what they were charged with, and I quoted the exact charges as well as provided a link. He then responded to the effect that he still didn’t understand the charges. Since the link I provided can be read in about two minutes, I’m at a loss for how to respond to “I still don’t get it.” The most obvious question is, did you read the link, and if so, what is unclear? That seems like a reasonable response - to shave down “I dont understand” to “what part needs to be explained?” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/18 "2016-09-24T13:39:34Z")
Christie may be off the hook legally, unlike Port Authority Wildstein, but he’s still looking at [impeachment](http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Key-NJ-Legislators-Looking-at-Christie-Impeachment-Sources-394560041.html). The Trump campaign is his only bridge out of future oblivion. **Northern Piper** , this is hardly a new topic. There is no need to resume every discussion from the beginning. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/19 "2016-09-24T15:38:11Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The mayor of Fort Lee was being punished for not endorsing Christie. But I suspect you may have already heard. I dunno, maybe it’s considered “local news?” I’ve certainly heard every juicy bridge detail from day one, but it may only be because New Jersey is right next door, like a neighbor who never mows the lawn and keeps a rusted-out automobile chassis in the front yard and lets the dogs shit EVERYPLACE. Maybe **Cad** lives in New Mexico or someplace and doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601/20 "2016-09-24T16:20:35Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > But I suspect you may have already heard. Or maybe I didn’t because I don’t live in NJ. Are you going to be this condescending in every post you make? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridge-gate-trial-finally/766601.md?page=2)