Christie Crime Digest-Volume IV

[Laxman]

12. So Here's Bridget Kelly's Story....

according to her attorney. It was all just a big misunderstanding. "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" was taken out of context. Except that doesn't make any sense when you see "is it wrong that I'm smiling" a few days later. Just a depraved overly ambitious political animal would do this.

Bridgegate lawyer says former Christie aide was thrown 'under the presidential bus'

The attorney for a former top Gov. Chris Christie aide claimed Monday his client was thrown "under the presidential bus" when she took the fall and was charged by federal prosecutors in the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal.

Bridget Anne Kelly, the governor's former deputy chief of staff, was not pulling the strings, defense attorney Michael Critchley told jurors in opening arguments.

Instead, he called "the idea that Bridget Kelly is directing the affairs of the state of New Jersey" as "almost laughable," suggesting larger powers were at play when access lanes to the busiest bridge were closed on the eve of Christie's 2013 re-election.

"It's about a presidential campaign," Critchley said.

He asked jurors to remember back in 2013 when Christie, who just sailed to re-election, was widely acknowledged as the Republican Party's frontrunner in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Kelly shouldn't be elevated to "some grandiose position," Critchley said, noting she only held the deputy chief of staff title for three months.

Rather, David Wildstein wanted to "shine in Chris Christie's eyes" as the governor readied for a nationwide campaign, Critchley argued.

"He wants to be on the national Chris Christie presidential team," he said.

Khanna also told jurors Wildstein, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes and turned cooperating witness for prosecutors, would take the stand in the trial and "admit that he was the one who came up with that idea."

"He will also tell you that (Bridget Anne) Kelly instructed him to take that action and Baroni blessed it," he said.

Read the rest here: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/09/bridgegate_lawyer_says_former_christie_aide_was_th.html#incart_river_home