Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Witness: Plan Was to 'Insulate' Christie in Bridge Scandal
Source: Associated Press
Witness: Plan Was to 'Insulate' Christie in Bridge Scandal
By DAVID PORTER, ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWARK, N.J. — Oct 5, 2016, 3:32 PM ET
The man at the heart of the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case concluded eight days of testimony Wednesday by reiterating that a goal in the aftermath of the scandal was to insulate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's office from blame.
David Wildstein, the one person to plead guilty in the alleged political retaliation plot by Christie loyalists against the mayor of the town that abuts the bridge, struck a contrite pose as he described first telling a bridge authority police official not to lie about the plot then reversing field.
"I was in a bad place. I was feeling sorry for myself," Wildstein said during questioning by defense lawyers. The official, Paul Nunziato, said in December 2013 the lane closures near the bridge, which caused massive gridlock for four days in the town of Fort Lee, were part of a traffic study suggested by police.
The overriding goal in the months following the September 2013 closures, Wildstein said, was to keep Christie's office out of any public discussions.
That goal, he said, guided the preparation for testimony in November 2013 to a New Jersey legislative committee by Bill Baroni, one of two defendants Wildstein testified against in the current trial. Baroni told that committee the gridlock was due to a traffic study that had been poorly communicated to local officials and motorists.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
By DAVID PORTER, ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWARK, N.J. — Oct 5, 2016, 3:32 PM ET
The man at the heart of the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case concluded eight days of testimony Wednesday by reiterating that a goal in the aftermath of the scandal was to insulate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's office from blame.
David Wildstein, the one person to plead guilty in the alleged political retaliation plot by Christie loyalists against the mayor of the town that abuts the bridge, struck a contrite pose as he described first telling a bridge authority police official not to lie about the plot then reversing field.
"I was in a bad place. I was feeling sorry for myself," Wildstein said during questioning by defense lawyers. The official, Paul Nunziato, said in December 2013 the lane closures near the bridge, which caused massive gridlock for four days in the town of Fort Lee, were part of a traffic study suggested by police.
The overriding goal in the months following the September 2013 closures, Wildstein said, was to keep Christie's office out of any public discussions.
That goal, he said, guided the preparation for testimony in November 2013 to a New Jersey legislative committee by Bill Baroni, one of two defendants Wildstein testified against in the current trial. Baroni told that committee the gridlock was due to a traffic study that had been poorly communicated to local officials and motorists.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/key-government-witness-returns-stand-bridge-trial-42584161
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
