Did Christie (or his staff) intentionally cause the Fort Lee traffic jam?

[What_Exit]

@brazil84

By the way, New Jersey has term limits for its governors. So this is not even a case of the governor realizing that he has no chance of re-election and deciding to step aside.

Chris Christie will be legally ineligible to be governor since he has already served two consecutive terms.

But I suppose it’s remotely possible that he will resign between now and the time his term ends in 2018. So BobLibDem has a glimmer of hope.

Hey if your state had the record of crappy governors that we do, you would have term limits too. I mean we haven’t had a decent governor since the 80s. Corsine was worse than Christie and he was better than McGreavy; who resigned in disgrace. :smack:

Sometimes I think we should have a term limit of 1 term instead.

[Gyrate]

@What_Exit

Sometimes I think we should have a term limit of 1 term instead.

Or maybe half a term, because only dead salmon go with the flow.

[brazil84]

@BobLibDem

There are plenty of shoes left to drop and hopefully they’ve got time to find an orange jumpsuit in Christie’s size.

The 5-year anniversary of Bridgegate was just a few days ago.

Ready to admit you were wrong?

[Chronos]

Wait, you mean there’s still any doubt that Christie deliberately caused the traffic jam?

[Fiveyearlurker]

@brazil84

The 5-year anniversary of Bridgegate was just a few days ago.

Ready to admit you were wrong?

I’m confused. Do you think he didn’t do it?

[Kimstu]

Christie’s subordinates in the Bridgegate conspiracy to commit fraud have been convicted and sentenced.

On May 1, 2015, the U.S. Attorney unsealed indictments, charging [Port Authority deputy executive director] Bill Baroni and [Christie’s deputy chief of staff] Bridget Anne Kelly with nine counts of conspiracy, fraud and related charges. These included conspiracy to commit fraud by “knowingly converting and intentionally misapplying property of an organization receiving federal benefits”. That same day, prosecutors released [Christie appointee to the PA and official who ordered the Fort Lee bridge lane closures] David Wildstein’s plea bargain. He had agreed in January to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy against civil rights. Wildstein, whose sentencing was delayed until after the trial, agreed to testify against Baroni and Kelly.

The indictments charge that the lane closures were retribution against [Fort Lee Mayor Mark] Sokolich for not endorsing Christie. Fishman said that Wildstein had corroborated the allegations in the indictments, and said that the three officials “agreed to and did use public resources to carry out a vendetta and exact retribution,” and that they “callously victimized the people of Fort Lee.” […]

On November 4, 2016, after deliberating the testimony of 35 witnesses (including the defendants) and other evidence over the course of five days, the jury found Baroni and Kelly guilty on all counts.

But it appears that the official misconduct case against Christie himself will not be pursued further, so maybe that’s the bit brazil84 is talking about.

[Gyrate]

Let him have this one. He clearly has so little else of note in his life if he has been counting the days until he could post that.

[septimus]

@Kimstu

Christie’s subordinates in the Bridgegate conspiracy to commit fraud have been convicted and sentenced.

I didn’t follow the story and just now noticed the bumping. Click further and all I see is ambiguity.

How many of these criminals went to prison? How much time did they get? Real prison or country-club prison for millionaires and politicians?

[kaylasdad99]

@septimus

I didn’t follow the story and just now noticed the bumping. Click further and all I see is ambiguity.

How many of these criminals went to prison? How much time did they get? Real prison or country-club prison for millionaires and politicians?

per Wikipedia, Bill Baroni and Bridget Ann Kelly were both convicted. They each got 500 hours of community service and jail time (two years for Baroni, eighteen months for Kelly).

Further digging doesn’t reveal much, beyond the fact that as of late April of this year, the two were still pursuing appeals of their convictions.

[Bijou_Drains]

at least he did not break his leg in office like the 3 previous elected NJ governors

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/369322-christie-becomes-first-nj-governor-in-decades-to-avoid-breaking-leg

[Tatterdemalion]

@Bijou_Drains

at least he did not break his leg in office like the 3 previous elected NJ governors

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/369322-christie-becomes-first-nj-governor-in-decades-to-avoid-breaking-leg

Does that mean he paid the protection money?

[Bijou_Drains]

@Tatterdemalion

Does that mean he paid the protection money?

I would ask Tony Soprano except he got whacked in the diner by the guy in the members only jacket

[brazil84]

@Chronos

Wait, you mean there’s still any doubt that Christie deliberately caused the traffic jam?

@fiveyearlurker

I’m confused. Do you think he didn’t do it?

Try reading a few more of the later posts in the thread. It should clear up any confusion.

[Chronos]

The later posts in this thread consist of you insisting without any evidence at all that he didn’t do it, and everyone else who’s paid attention to the evidence being amazed that you could still be unsure.

[running_coach]

@Chronos

The later posts in this thread consist of you insisting without any evidence at all that he didn’t do it, and everyone else who’s paid attention to the evidence being amazed that you could still be unsure.

I don’t think he’s unsure.

[brazil84]

@Chronos

The later posts in this thread consist of you insisting without any evidence at all that he didn’t do it, and everyone else who’s paid attention to the evidence being amazed that you could still be unsure.

Please quote me where I “insist[ed] without any evidence at all that he didn’t do it.” If you are able to, I will pubclicly apologize to you. And I expect that if you are unable to, then you will publicly apologize to me.

To help you in your quest, you might start looking at what I said in Post #1286.

[Bijou_Drains]

if Christie was out there he could have blocked 3 lanes just with his body.

[Chronos]

So your repeated bumps to gloat are over what, exactly?

[brazil84]

And here is what I said in Post #1241:

For what it’s worth, I believe that more likely than not, Christie was aware of and approved the lane closures. But at the same time, Christie is an experienced politician and attorney and it’s likely that he was careful not to put anything in writing and to make sure that he could plausibly deny any knowledge or involvement.

But please, show me where I insisted without any evidence that Christie “didn’t do it.”

[brazil84]

@running_coach

I don’t think he’s unsure.

Actually I’m pretty sure what I said was that I thought it was pretty likely that Christie was complicit in the lane closures.

I don’t recall ever insisting – with or without evidence – that Christie was uninvolved. But I have an open mind and stand ready to publicly apologize if I have mis-characterized my own position.

Just as I expect you and/or Chronos to admit it and publicly apologize if you are the ones who mis-characterized my position.

So, please tell me: Where did I state or imply the certitude you refer to?