Christie Crime Digest-Volume IV

[rocktivity]

101. Baroni's testimony: One hot mess

NorthJersey.com: (Baroni) said that he had not been privy to the bridge scheme. Instead, he said, he was tricked by Wildstein...(T)he lane closures had been Wildstein’s idea...and he had believed Wildstein’s assertions that they were needed for a study to improve traffic flow...

According to Baroni, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s office signed off on press statements released by the Port Authority’s New Jersey side...(H)e did not believe that Kelly was responsible for final approval of any Port Authority communications, but rather routed them through the governor’s office...

Observer.com: Baroni set up a meeting with Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich to discuss the lane realignment in person. However...since the office of the governor had not confirmed that the meeting could proceed, it was likely that the meeting would have been cancelled by Baroni...The meeting never occurred due to a cancellation from Sokolich...

NJ.com: ...Baroni said while Wildstein was under him in the Port Authority's table of organization, it was Wildstein who was calling the shots from Trenton. "Gov. Christie told me to hire him...David was responsible for issues that...the governor was interested in."

Did (Wildstein) report to you?" asked (the) defense attorney ..."He did not," Baroni replied. "He reported to Trenton." Trenton, he said, was Christie.

LoHud.com: ...Baroni was asked by a prosecutor about a text message exchange he had with David Wildstein...Baroni was checking with Wildstein how to respond to a request from Fort Lee mayor, Mark Sokolich, for a meeting to dispel rumors that the lane reductions were punitive.

Wildstein responded to Baroni that he had run the meeting request by Kelly, the governor’s deputy chief of staff. But Kelly, who was in charge of relations between the Christie Administration and local officials, had not yet responded.

Baroni (was)...asked whether Kelly represented “Trenton,” shorthand for the Christie Administration. Baroni told the court: “The instructions from Trenton were going to come from Miss Kelly.”

Sitting at the defense table on the other side of the courtroom, Kelly shook her head.

It's a hot mess because it throws the "chain of command" issue right on the table: Baroni's in trouble because as Wildstein's alleged superior, he's caught between what he didn't know and what should have known. He didn't try to stop Wildstein because even if he'd had the authority to, he knew Christie approved of what Wildstein was doing. And during the infamous two-hour press conference, Christie said that Wildstein was "Baroni's hire" -- he had only granted Baroni "permission!"

But then again, this is what comes of being unable defend yourself without implicating someone else. There's a special legal term for it -- GUILTY.


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