WASHINGTON (PM) — The Supreme Court granted Friday to hear a suit involving two former state officials convicted in New Jersey’s “Bridgegate” scandal.
The justices published they will hear a case in the fall concerning Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni. The two were convicted in 2016 on various counts of fraud and civil rights violations for adjusting the traffic pattern to the George Washington Bridge without informing local officials. They maintained the 2013 lane realignment of the bridge that unites New Jersey to New York City was part of a traffic study. The outcome was days of gridlock in the New Jersey town of Fort Lee.
Prosecutors asserted that Kelly and Baroni’s motive in realigning the roads was to admonish Fort Lee’s Democratic mayor for not endorsing their boss, Republican Gov. Chris Christie. At the moment of the realignment, Kelly was Christie’s deputy chief of staff and Baroni was deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Christie wasn’t charged, but the consequent infamy pulled down his 2016 presidential hopes.
A jury eventually convicted both Kelly and Baroni on all counts. The civil rights offenses were thrown out, and the fraud convictions were confirmed. Kelly was ultimately sentenced to 13 months and Baroni to 18 months, respectively, in prison.
