Reason #56,174 Why Chris Christie Will Never Be Preznit

[Sue U]

Long-time Christie confidant David Wildstein pleaded guilty last week. Two more players due in court today, promising to bring the ugly:

Bridge Scandal Could Challenge Chris Christie
The plot thickens weeks before he’s expected to announce presidential run

By Josh Dawsey and
Heather Haddon
May 3, 2015 10:12 p.m. ET

When Bridget Anne Kelly mounted a step stool on Friday to tell reporters that her former colleagues in New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s office knew about the 2013 lane closures at the George Washington Bridge, she saddled the governor with a challenge he may grapple with for months.

Ms. Kelly and former Port Authority of New York and New Jerseyexecutive Bill Baroni were charged Friday with nine criminal counts related to the lane closures, while another former Christie ally, David Wildstein, pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government.

Mr. Christie hasn’t been linked to the lane closures or to the coverup of their alleged political motivation. He said Friday that the absence of charges against him vindicates his position that he had no idea the lanes were closed as political retribution.

People close to Mr. Christie expect him to announce a presidential bid in June, timing that would distance the announcement from the indictments by a few weeks and allow him to negotiate the state budget. Yet his planned path to the White House could be hampered by Ms. Kelly, Mr. Baroni and Mr. Wildstein, three former aides and allies who could face criminal sanctions and have been fired or publicly criticized by Mr. Christie after years of working for him.

“After you take punches for a year, it’s more fun to throw one. And then you realize you like throwing them,” Ms. Kelly’s attorney, Michael Critchley, said Saturday. “When she gets on the stand, she’s prepared to tell everything she knows.”

Ms. Kelly and Mr. Baroni are scheduled to appear in court on Monday, where they are expected to plead not guilty to the nine counts. Michael Baldassare, a lawyer for Mr. Baroni, said his client is “innocent, plain and simple.” Ms. Kelly said on Friday that she wasn’t guilty of the charges. Mr. Critchley said he wants significant time to review documents, likely pushing any trial into the heart of the 2016 GOP primaries.

A lawyer for Mr. Wildstein said on Friday that “evidence exists” showing that Mr. Christie knew about the bridge tie-up. What that evidence could be is a central mystery of the story.

Mr. Christie has never denied that he could have been told of the Fort Lee traffic jams as they occurred, but he says that a traffic report wouldn’t have seemed remarkable, and that he didn’t know of the revenge motive to which Mr. Wildstein has confessed. If Mr. Wildstein has evidence suggesting Mr. Christie knew more than he claims, it could undermine the governor’s previous denials of involvement in the scheme or its cover story.

Ms. Kelly, whom Mr. Christie fired as deputy chief of staff after emails appeared to show that she ordered the lane closures, used to travel with the governor and was with him at the scene of a Seaside Heights boardwalk fire during the week of the closures. Mr. Baroni was deeply connected in his political orbit. Mr. Wildstein is a longtime New Jersey political blogger who attended high school with Mr. Christie and served at the Port Authority under him.

The governor also cut ties with Bill Stepien, his top political aide, after the damaging emails about the closures emerged in January 2014. Mr. Stepien wasn’t named in the indictments Friday by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, and has made no public statements since then. Mr. Stepien’s attorney, Kevin Marino, has denied any wrongdoing on his client’s part.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/bridge-scan ... 1430705538

[Long Run]

Such a trick is indeed a bridge scandal.

[Sue U]

Such a trick is indeed a bridge scandal.

In spades.

[MajGenl.Meade]

induplicatably

[wesw]

ok. maybe I ll re think my opposition to making fun of large people....

Christie will never appeal to voters outside of the megalopolis. there is a joke there, but I ll leave it be....

[MajGenl.Meade]

Not rumps?