Despite guilty verdicts, 'Bridgegate'
charges vs New Jersey governor seen unlikely
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[November 05, 2016]
By Joseph Ax
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie is unlikely to face criminal prosecution for the
"Bridgegate" lane closure scandal, even after two of his former
associates were convicted for their roles in the scheme on Friday.
U.S. prosecutors have essentially conceded that charges are not
forthcoming against the Republican, even though a key government witness
testified that Christie was aware of the scheme as it unfolded in
September 2013.
State charges are also a long shot, legal experts said. The
Democratic-controlled state assembly might explore impeaching Christie,
though that is no sure thing.
"Much as I do think this was an abuse of office, I think the potential
remedy for that is a political one, rather than a criminal law one,"
said Stuart Green, a law professor at Rutgers University who has
followed the case.
Christie was a rising political star before the scandal left his
reputation in tatters. After his own presidential campaign failed, he
became a key adviser to Republican nominee Donald Trump, and many
observers believe he hopes to secure an administration post if Trump
wins the presidency on Tuesday.
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Christie's former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, and former Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey deputy executive director Bill
Baroni were found guilty on Friday of all counts in Newark federal
court.
The pair were accused of closing down access lanes at the busy George
Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, to create a massive traffic
jam as payback for the town's Democratic mayor failing to endorse
Christie's reelection campaign.
During the trial, David Wildstein, a former Port Authority official who
pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors, testified he and Baroni
discussed the lane closures with Christie on the third day of the
gridlock.
The governor, Wildstein said, laughed when he heard that Mayor Mark
Sokolich was frustrated that his calls for help were going unanswered.
Kelly, meanwhile, testified that she discussed the lane closures with
Christie a month before they occurred, though she said she thought they
were part of a traffic study.
Prosecutors would not specifically explain why they decided not to
prosecute Christie.
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Republican presidential candidate Governor Chris Christie speaks to
supporters in West Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. January 31, 2016.
REUTERS/Brian C. Frank/File Photo
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"I'm not going to answer the question of why I did or didn't pursue
anyone in particular," U.S. Attorney in New Jersey Paul Fishman told
reporters. "At the time, we indicted only the people who we believed had
evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to convict."
Christie, who is barred from running for a third term, denied any
involvement again on Friday. His term ends in January 2018.
"I had no knowledge prior to or during these lane realignments, and
had no role in authorizing them," he said. "Anything said to the
contrary over the past six weeks in court is simply untrue."
State prosecutors could pursue their own case against Christie, but
Green, the Rutgers professor, said they have probably known about
the evidence for some time and would likely have done so by now.
Last month, a judge referred a citizen's criminal complaint against
Christie to a local prosecutor in Bergen County to decide whether it
warrants criminal charges, though experts consider that unlikely.
Impeachment, which carries a lower standard of proof, is a more
likely scenario, said Brigid Harrison, a professor of political
science and law at Montclair State University.
But Democratic state lawmakers may prefer to leave Christie in
office as a convenient punching bag and focus on trying to recapture
the governor's mansion next year, she added.
"The reason why Democrats are not pursuing charges of impeachment
already is they want to run against the Christie legacy in 2017,"
she said.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Scott Malone and James
Dalgleish)
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