Breaking: Bridgegate verdict: Bill Baroni and Bridget Kelly guilty on all counts
Source: NJ.Com
Two former Christie administration insiders charged in a bizarre scheme of political retaliation against a mayor who refused to endorse the governor for re-election were found guilty Friday on all counts in the long-running Bridgegate saga.
In a seven-week trial that saw their own words used against them, Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly were convicted of helping orchestrate massive traffic tie-ups at the George Washington Bridge in September 2013. The plot was hatched to send a pointed message to Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, after he stepped back from his earlier public support of Gov. Chris Christie.
The jury passed a note to judge Friday morning, indicating it had reached a verdict. The decision came one day after U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton denied a defense motion to re-instruct the jury.
Attorneys started to filter back into the federal courthouse around 11 a.m. The jury began reading its findings just before 11:30 a.m. and delivered their guilty decision in rapid fire. Baroni and Kelly were charged on nine counts, and faced five of them together. The other four charges were split evenly, two each for the defendants.
Baroni stared at the jury stoically as the verdicts were read.
Kelly cried and continued to sob as she heard the word guilty repeated time and again. Neither defendant stood as the verdicts were read.
Afterward, Kelly hugged her attorney and her mother.
Baroni was embraced by his attorney and then went to his parents.
https://twitter.com/MatthewArco/status/794556792135159808
Read more: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/bridgegate_verdict_bill_baroni_and_bridget_kelly_g.html
Well now we shall see. Updates to follow when everyone gets back into the courtroom.
Got the twitter page and holding.
Dopers_Greed
(2,640 posts)mpcamb
(2,854 posts)Leave 'em there for the cumulative # of hours they held up motorists.
Somebody do the math.
Make them an offer. There is still one more fat fish to fry (literally).
snooper2
(30,151 posts)Helen Borg
(3,963 posts)budkin
(6,688 posts)That would have been extra special
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)Katie KyrosVerified account
@KatieKyros
Baroni & Kelly both found Guilty on EVERY ONE of the 7 counts against each of them
https://twitter.com/KatieKyros/status/794562663812571136
Tempest
(14,591 posts)Rockhead
(27 posts)SticksnStones
(2,108 posts)Laxman
(2,419 posts)bada bing-badda boom (that's NJ Talk)
HAB911
(8,811 posts)Tempest
(14,591 posts)Count 1
Charges Bill Baroni, former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Bridget Anne Kelly, former deputy chief of staff for Gov. Chris Christie, with conspiracy to obtain by fraud, knowingly convert and intentionally misapply property of the Port Authority, an organization receiving federal benefits.
The count charges Baroni and Kelly conspired and agreed with each other and others, including David Wildstein, former director of interstate capital projects for the Port Authority, to take unauthorized control of Port Authority property and misuse it. The property they allegedly misused falls into two categories: Physical property and money.
The physical property they are accused of misusing are the local access lanes and the toll booths. The money they are accused of misusing stems from the time and services of Port Authority employees related to the scheme, including the employees' salaries and the overtime paid to toll booth operators to manage the single toll booth.
The jury finds Kelly guilty.
The jury finds Baroni guilty.
Count 2
Charges Baroni and Kelly with the substantive offense of obtaining by fraud, knowingly converting and intentionally misapplying property of the Port Authority.
The count goes beyond the conspiracy and/or agreement, and relates to the actual misuse of Port Authority resources. Like the previous count, the property they are accused of misusing falls into two categories: Physical property and money.
The jury finds Kelly guilty.
The jury finds Baroni guilty.
Count 3
Charges Baroni and Kelly with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Refers to the alleged conspiracy to commit wire fraud in order to obtain money and property from the Port Authority under false and fraudulent pretenses.
The jury finds Kelly guilty.
The jury finds Baroni guilty.
Count 4
Charges Kelly with wire fraud.
The charges are tied to Kelly's emails. Count 4 charges Kelly for her "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" email on Aug. 13, 2013.
The jury finds Kelly guilty.
Count 5
Charges Baroni with wire fraud.
The charges are tied to Baroni's emails. Count 5 charges Baroni for his email to Wildstein indicating that Mayor Sokolich had called about an urgent matter in Fort Lee.
The jury finds Baroni guilty.
Count 6
Charges Kelly with wire fraud.
This count charges her for a subsequent email to Wildstein, thanking him for confirming that Baroni maintained "radio silence."
The jury finds Kelly guilty.
Count 7
Charges Baroni with wire fraud.
The count charges Baroni for forwarding an email from Sokolich to Wildstein about the alleged scheme.
The jury finds Baroni guilty.
Count 8
Charges Baroni and Kelly with conspiracy against civil rights.
Refers to the conspiracy that Baroni and Kelly allegedly agreed on together with Wildstein to oppress the residents of Fort Lee in the free exercise of their rights.
The jury finds Kelly guilty.
The jury finds Baroni guilty.
Count 9
Charges Baroni and Kelly with depriving the residents of Fort Lee of their civil rights.
The charge accuses the defendants of conduct that "shocks the conscience," which means Baroni and Kelly had to willfully act to deprive Fort Lee residents of their rights.
The jury finds Kelly guilty.
The jury finds Baroni guilty.
metroins
(2,550 posts)Prosecutors should not be able to charge like that.
Wire fraud for each email, no thank you.
That's frustrating to me, and is used as leverage to get a plea. I'm not going to comment on the actual case but seeing it charged like that is wrong in my eyes.
Tempest
(14,591 posts)Each email is a separate transaction.
Under your logic, a person wouldn't be charged for breaking and entering on one charge and burglary on another.
Blue Idaho
(4,987 posts)I'm glad the convictions were so swift and final - but "Mr. Big" walks away?
Laxman
(2,419 posts)this is the end of the story.
iandhr
(6,852 posts)I am sure the prosecutors will over them a deal.
Dish dirt on Christie for a reducing the amount of time they spend in jail.
mainstreetonce
(4,178 posts)But the testimony of these two should lead to charges against him.
Blue Idaho
(4,987 posts)Dopers_Greed
(2,640 posts)Spin this as "good for Trump"?
jpak
(41,741 posts)Lock them both up.
Gothmog
(143,998 posts)Botany
(70,281 posts)Blue Idaho
(4,987 posts)Nothing would make me happier!
Botany
(70,281 posts)Blue Idaho
(4,987 posts)Botany
(70,281 posts)bucolic_frolic
(42,651 posts)"Protecting Those Who Defend America"
Melting with irony
StevieM
(10,499 posts)new evidence emerges.
Beach Rat
(273 posts)Not that I'm excited or anything.
shenmue
(38,501 posts)dalton99
(781 posts)ET Awful
(24,753 posts)Chrispy...
bucolic_frolic
(42,651 posts)Just listening to the denials and explanations over these 3 years in the press
for these maneuvers, you just knew where it was leading, IF someone
actually pursued the charges and nothing was covered up
So is the Machiavellian Maestro next?
Coolest Ranger
(2,034 posts)onetexan
(12,992 posts)when will Christie be charged?
whathehell
(28,968 posts)Seems entirely unfair to penalize these two and not Christie.
tavernier
(12,322 posts)Crispy, like Sergeant Schultz, knew NOTHINK!!
He's as innocent as the day is long!
zentrum
(9,865 posts)
...just the few "bad apples" cover story that protects the powerful.
This will only become a difference that makes a difference when Christie is in the dock.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)ejbr
(5,852 posts)doesn't mean you should. Buh bye....
allan01
(1,950 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Laxman
(2,419 posts)in the days ahead? What a crock! Keep talking big man, keep talking. Do you hear the beating of the Tell Tale Heart yet?
On January 9, 2014, I apologized to the people of New Jersey for the conduct exhibited by some members of my Administration who showed a lack of respect for the appropriate role of government and for the people we serve. Those people were terminated by me and today, the jury affirms that decision by also holding them responsible for their own conduct.
Like so many people in New Jersey, Im saddened by this case and Im saddened about the choices made by Bill Baroni, Bridget Kelly and David Wildstein. Todays verdict does not change this for me.
But let me be clear once again, I had no knowledge prior to or during these lane realignments, and had no role in authorizing them. No believable evidence was presented to contradict that fact. Anything said to the contrary over the past six weeks in court is simply untrue.
As a former federal prosecutor, I have respected these proceedings and refused to comment on the daily testimony from the trial. I will set the record straight in the coming days regarding the lies that were told by the media and in the courtroom.
ok so guilty of closing the lane on the bridge, your punishment, all expenses paid vacation before you start writing your books to make millions and hitting the talk show rounds. Fat uaaaa Governor Christy, you get to skate free.....enjoy a donut on the way out...
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)Patiod
(11,816 posts)I am thrilled. Ft Lee and the bridges are nightmares on a normal day, but the thought that someone would purposely make it worse just for political giggles is sick, sick, sick.
Emergency vehicles use those roads.
Police and fire use those roads.
This is sick and dangerous. They need to be punished.
I'm not a fan of jail for ANY non-violent offenders, but these two need to be cleaning up highways or scrubbing park toilets 40 hours a week for the next few years.
Joe Nation
(961 posts)The only major player left is Fats Domino Christie himself.
mobeau69
(11,074 posts)Apparently she had a bad day. Hahahahaha!
lindysalsagal
(20,433 posts)They could have hired a lawyer and filed their objections with the state and spoken to an attorney general and cooperated when it was first discussed.
Had they done that, they wouldn't have been accused of making it happen. They would be the people who had quit before it happened, and tried to prevent it.
Their testimony would have been "former employees" for the prosecution, instead of defendents.
These were lots of little decisions that they made: No doubt there were many more like these but of a less significant nature.
Each time they used the government authority on crispy's behalf they committed crimes. They knew they were personally benefitting from illegal abuse power.
They chose to do this.
cRispy is never getting elected, again. When is his year is up, his political career is over.
Who on earth would ever hire him????
Oh, yeah. A failed presidential candidate. Perfect together.