'Bridgegate' trial star witness describes
favors for endorsements
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[September 24, 2016]
By Hilary Russ
NEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - New Jersey
Governor Chris Christie's office turned a regional transportation agency
into a "goodie bag" from which to dole out favors and funds to Democrats
who might endorse the Republican during his 2013 re-election campaign,
according to prosecutors' star witness in the so-called Bridgegate trial
on Friday.
David Wildstein, a former executive at the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey who pleaded guilty and is testifying for the prosecution,
described how requests from state officials went first to a top Christie
aide for approval - for everything from patronage jobs at the agency to
tours of the World Trade Center site, which the Port Authority owns.
The aide, Christie's then-deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly, and
William Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port
Authority, are on trial for wire fraud and civil rights deprivation.
Kelly and Baroni are accused of arranging in September 2013 to close
traffic lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge in order to cause
gridlock in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as retribution after the
municipality's Democratic mayor did not endorse Christie's successful
re-election bid.
The scandal helped torpedo Christie's bid for the Republican
presidential nomination.
At the start of the trial, federal prosecutors claimed for the first
time that Christie knew his two close associates were involved in the
shutdown.
Christie has denied any knowledge of the plot.
Wildstein said the "goodie bag" scheme allowed Christie's office to take
credit for items given by the Port Authority, a bi-state agency run
jointly with New York.
"That was the system that was established. All use of Port Authority
resources had to be approved by the governor's office," Wildstein, 55,
testified. "The governor's office was always to be the deliverer of good
news."
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David Wildstein exits the U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey
May 1, 2015. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
In one case, Wildstein had the 100 flags flown over the World Trade
Center site on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks shipped
to the governor's office after the ceremony to be distributed to
local officials as it saw fit.
The office considered whether officials were willing to endorse
Christie when deciding how to hand out the flags, surplus equipment,
and even local grant money, he said.
Baroni, whom Wildstein described as "one of the closest friends I've
ever had," hired Wildstein to be the "bad cop" in pushing Christie's
agenda at the authority, Wildstein said.
"If it was good for Christie then it was good for us," Wildstein
said.
Wildstein's testimony continues on Monday.
(Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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