Ex-Christie Allies Plead Not Guilty In Bridge Scandal Case
By Cleve Bryan
NEWARK, N.J., (CBS) -- Former Christie Port Authority of NY/NJ appointee Bill Baroni and deputy chief of staff Bridget Kelly both pleaded "not guilty" to criminal charges in federal court on Monday.
They're accused of abusing their positions to take revenge on a Northern New Jersey mayor who didn't support the governor's re-election.
"I would never risk my career, my job, my reputation for something like this," said Baroni, addressing a crowd of media after the arraignment.
As part of a plea deal David Wildstein, who worked under Baroni at the Port Authority, admits that he, Kelly and Baroni concocted a plan to jam up traffic in Fort Lee, NJ by closing local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge under the guise of a traffic study.
"I have the highest respect for the people from the U.S. Attorney's Office, but unfortunately they're relying on one narrator David Wildstein, and he's a flawed narrator," says Kelly's attorney Michael Critchley.
Kelly will have to explain the infamous August 2013 email where she allegedly told Wildstein "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
Baroni will have to defend his testimony before state law makers about the traffic study that never happened.
Trial is scheduled for July 7th.
