Former Christie ally sentenced to 2 years in prison for Bridgegate

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NEWARK — A former ally of Gov. Christie’s was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in prison for his role in the traffic-jamming lane closures that would morph into a scandal damaging the governor’s presidential ambitions.

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Bill Baroni, who was Christie’s top executive appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the time of the September 2013 lane closures at the George Washington Bridge, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton.

Baroni, a former state senator, and former Christie deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly were found guilty in November of misusing Port Authority resources in what prosecutors contended was a plot to create massive traffic at the bridge to punish a local mayor who hadn’t endorsed the governor’s reelection.

Kelly will be sentenced later Wednesday.

The political payback allegations — which erupted in January 2014 with the disclosure of Kelly’s “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email — engulfed Christie’s administration as the governor was preparing to launch what would be an unsuccessful presidential campaign.

Christie — who has maintained he had no role in the lane closures — was headed to the White House Wednesday, after confirming that President Trump had named him to chair a commission targeting the opioid crisis.

Earlier Wednesday, Christie said on NBC’S Today show that “it’s not my role, or anybody’s else’s role, other than the judge in that courtroom, to pass sentence on people who have committed crimes.”

During the trial, Kelly testified that Christie had approved a purported traffic study at the bridge. A third former Christie ally, Port Authority official David Wildstein, testified that he and Baroni had bragged to the governor about “tremendous” traffic while the lane closures were underway.

Wildstein, who pleaded guilty in the scandal in 2015, served as the government’s main witness in the trial of Baroni and Kelly. His sentencing has not been scheduled.

While Wildstein said the three had agreed not to return the calls of Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich to maximize the mayor’s punishment, Kelly and Baroni testified that Wildstein had told them the Port Authority would be conducting a traffic study.

Prosecutors accused Baroni and Kelly of perjury, which they said warranted an enhanced sentence. Defense attorneys had sought probation, objecting to the government’s arguments.

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Published: March 29, 2017 — 12:19 PM EDT

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