BRIDGEGATE–the sacrilege of Chris Christie

Tom Franklin (The Record) took this iconic picture of a REAL flag raising over Ground Zero
Tom Franklin (The Record) took this iconic picture of a REAL flag raising over Ground Zero

 

A short piece simply to express sadness and a rage about this email, sent by David Wildstein—Chris Christie’s man at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey—to Bill Stepien, an aide to Christie who become his re-election campaign manager and is now field director for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. This was sent on September 8, 2012—four years before Christie made his run for president:

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–The six big holes in Wildstein’s testimony

From BlueJersey.Com
From BlueJersey.Com

David Wildstein, as expected, testified in federal court Tuesday that Gov. Chris Christie knew about and, at least, condoned the disruption of traffic across the George Washington Bridge for four days in September, 2013, to punish the mayor of Fort Lee who refused to endorse Christie for re-election. And, as expected, Christie repeated his denials. Now the question is will Wildstein’s tale survive what is expected to be a withering cross-examination by  lawyers representing the two defendants in the trial, Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly.

BRIDGEGATE– Seven steps to closing an interstate crossing, but without bloodshed

Wildstein
Wildstein

What a guy, that David Wildstein. A helluva guy. Why, he had the power to shut down entrance lanes to the George Washington Bridge in a way that would not only create a massive traffic jam for thousands but also would have increased the dangers of motor vehicle sideswipes and collisions at the entrance of the nation’s busiest interstate crossing.

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL: The stunning lies told to keep New Jersey stupid–and who told them

Port Authority director Patrick Foye
Port Authority director Patrick Foye

Today was the day of lies at the Bridgegate trial.

Lies told—maybe—out of fear or to cover other lies. Lies told and lies condoned by public officials who apparently viewed their responsibility to tell the truth as optional, not required. Mark Sokolich, the mayor of Fort Lee,  admitted he lied when he wrote a statement that Gov. Chris Christie hadn’t shaken him down for an endorsement. Patrick Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, admitted he “didn’t mind” that two underlings put out a false statement claiming access to the George Washington Bridge was shut down because of a traffic study.

The Bridgegate trial’s six biggest shockers

From BlueJersey.Com
From BlueJersey.Com

Political corruption trials—even those with high-profile defendants—rarely produce genuine surprises. But the opening  day of the Bridgegate trial generated at least a half-dozen shockers, some of which may change both the political landscape and similar trials in New Jersey for a long time to come.  Here’s my list of the big six biggest surprises unleashed in federal district court in Newark Monday:

Why does the Newark Teachers Union need charity?

NTU's Abeigon
NTU’s Abeigon

The other day a friend told me that a mutual acquaintance, a private school teacher, had fallen seriously ill. The teacher’s friends and colleagues, he said,  were raising money for her through GoFundMe, the online site for charitable giving,  because the expenses she faced were almost as daunting as her illness.  A few days later, I learned the Newark Teachers Union (NTU), an affiliate of the AFL-CIO,  also had opened a GoFundMe site to raise money for itself and members.  It too, apparently, faces a daunting fate.