Christie Crime Digest-Volume IV

[rocktivity]

106. Don't cry for her, New Jersey -- the truth is, she should have copped a plea, too

Lohud.com: 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.

And sitting on the witness stand, the person who put the Bridge(t) in Bridge(t)-Gate shook her pipes, singing better than Aretha Franklin and Adele combined.

NorthJersey.com: After nearly three years of silence...Kelly took the witness stand...and ...described her role in the administration as a sort of stagehand, responsible for making sure the governor’s public events were properly organized and his social events were catered to his liking...

Stagehand? She flatters herself -- she was a go-between between Christie and Wildstein because they both knew they'd need a fall guy.

Kelly said that Wildstein mentioned to her in early 2011 that the access lanes to the bridge in Fort Lee were “something that at some point the Port Authority was going to look at.” Then in June 2013...Wildstein told Kelly that he had spoken with (Port Authority) engineers...and the police department “to put together what would be a study or a review of these lanes" (and) to be sure she “ran this by the governor.”

"Run it by the governor" for what -- to introduce him to the idea, or to keep him informed of its development?

Kelly...portrayed herself as a sincere, down-to-earth mother who only took a job in Trenton...so that she could look after herself as her marriage of 15 years fell apart...The new job in the Governor’s Office...bumped her salary...to $83,000 (and) entailed a commute (of) an hour and 45 minutes...(T)he tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike were so expensive she took back roads...

When...asked...to tell the jury the names of her four children, Kelly’s voice cracked...

Boo hoo and cue the violins!

Oh, and did the marriage collaspe before, during, or after her relationship with Bill Stepien?

Kelly...said that when she told Christie of the plan Wildstein had proposed, “the governor said that’s typical Wally” ...(On August 12, 2013), (h)e said “OK,” asked when it would happen, and...wanted to know what our relationship was...with Mayor Sokolich,” Kelly said...she didn’t have an answer ready...

Oh? I thought interfacing with local officials was her speciality. Besides, wouldn't the best way to provide Christie with an answer was to interface with Sokolich about the impending traffic study?

Christie then told Kelly that they should get together for lunch the next day...She was...“a little nervous,” since she had never had lunch with the governor before and she worried about being prepared for any questions or status update requests from him. So around 10:30 that night, she texted Christie’s chief of staff at the time, Kevin O’Dowd, to tell him she wanted to give him “foresight” on “a couple of things,” which she said included the traffic study in Fort Lee.

And with that testimony, she signed her own death warrant, if you'll pardon the expression. What she was "nervous" and "worried" about was being vulnerable to having left her own immediate superior out of the loop -- without his protection, she knew she was in big trouble!

(On) Aug. 13, 2013, Kelly and Christie met for lunch...(T)he same day, Kelly sent Wildstein the “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email, to which he replied, “Got it.”

...Kelly said it was “absolutely not” an order to block access to the bridge for retribution. The message was sent “in a very quick manner” using words that Wildstein had often used...“'Traffic problems' were just two words that went together when you talked to David about the Port Authority...If I (had) said 'time for a traffic study' in Fort Lee, we wouldn’t all know each other.”

That's true -- that is, not if the traffic study wasn't MEANT to cause traffic problems. But wasn't the point of Wildstein "getting" the message from her was that she had "got it" from Christie? Wasn't HE included in her "we all"?

Kelly tearfully told the jury that she was frightened by Christie after receiving profane put-downs...(W)hen she suggested that Christie should open a public event and then pass control to other officials, he threw a water bottle...shouting: “What do you think I am, a [expletive] game show host?” ...(T)he bottle struck her arm.

(Her attorney) asked Kelly, “You’re afraid of the governor?”

With tears in her eyes, Kelly said, “Yes. Yes.”

“He’s a big tough guy, eh?”

“Yes,” Kelly said.

She lost her promise, but she hasn't produced the smoking gun: Did Christie specifically tell her to tell Wildstein to cause traffic problems in Ft Lee? Stay tuned...



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