A onetime top ally of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the governor and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo discussed releasing a false report to tamp down questions over the George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal, the prosecution's key witness testified Tuesday.
David Wildstein, who pleaded guilty in the gridlock scheme and is cooperating with prosecutors, said former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman David Samson told him the governors discussed the idea in October 2013. The report would have attributed the lane closures to a traffic study, covering up the true reason for the closures: political retribution against the mayor of Fort Lee for failing to endorse Christie's 2013 re-election, Wildstein testified.
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Baroni, who served as Christie's top appointed staff aide at the Port Authority, and Bridget Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, are on trial facing wire fraud and civil rights charges. They have pleaded not guilty.
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"My understanding was that (Republican) Gov. Christie and (Democratic) Gov. Cuomo had discussed this," Wildstein said under cross-examination Tuesday, according to the Bergen Record, adding he was told the information by Samson. "My understanding at the time was that it would put an end to this issue."I so hope that this is true, and that additional supporting information could be down.
Wildstein also testified Tuesday that Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye, a Cuomo appointee, was to "sign off" on the false report. Through an attorney, Foye declined to comment.
If Bridgegate were to take down that sh%$heel Cuomo as well as Christie, it would be delicious.
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