Bridge scandal internal report says Bridget Kelly was only Christie staffer to close lanes

[Botany]

Source: NJ.com

In the 360-page report today that exonerated Gov. Chris Christie in the George Washington Bridge scandal, his former deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly emerges as the lone conspirator in the governor's office, who not only orchestrated the scheme with a Port Authority appointee, but tried to hide her involvement until the day she was fired.

The report also depicted the 42-year-old former Christie adviser in personal and at times, unflattering terms, describing her as nervous and weepy in exchanges with other staff who cooperated in the investigation.

It briefly described the intimate relationship she had with campaign manager Bill Stepien, whom the report says knew of the lane closure idea in advance but "found no evidence" he was aware of "any ulterior motive here, besides the claimed purpose of conducting a traffic study.”

"By early August 2013, their personal relationship had cooled, apparently at Stepien’s choice," according to the report by former federal prosecutor Randy Mastro and his law firm.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/gwb_scandal_internal_report_bridget_kelly_the_only_christie_staffer_who_closed_lanes.html

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So Ms. Kelly did this all on her own? She ordered the lane closures, she had the Port Authority
Police tell people stuck in traffic that the traffic jam was done under an order by the mayor of Ft. Lee,
and she made up the cover story about a "traffic study" too? Please! This report will just get Christie
into more trouble.

[tularetom]

1. Wow, that really takes big brass ones

If the citizens of NJ aren't outraged by such a lame ass attempt to shift blame away from their POS governor, they deserve him.

However, the rest of us don't deserve him and this pitiful coverup should put his presidential aspirations out of their misery.

[truth2power]

3. As far as Christie's presidential aspirations, I think you underestimate

the profound stupidity of enough of the American populace that they would put him into office.

As far as the rest of your post, I totally agree.

[karynnj]

6. I suspect that rather than stupidity, it is a willingness to turn a blind eye if a candidate

seems worth it. Here, I suspect that there are enough Republicans not enamored with Christie to being willing to defend him by arguing there is nothing there.

Consider that the appalling stories of young Rand Paul - Aqua Buddah and kidnapping a friend - and the fact that he started his own organization to "board certify" himself as an eye doctor (for which he does have the required education) did not deter the Republicans from supporting him for Senate.

[Botany]

18. Not to mention Sen. David "Diapers/Hookers/Spankings" Vitter or Gov. Kasich of OH ...

.... who in the past sold OH's public employees retirement fund $480,000,000
worth of junk from Lehman Brothers.

[karynnj]

21. Good examples.

In fact, the Ohio Governor is one mentioned as a long shot for 2016 - along with Scott Walker, who has his own problems.

To be fair, NJ at one point faced having to give up a Senate seat or vote for Torrechelli - luckily he dropped out and we got the wonderful former Senator Lautenberg back. As a NJ voter at the time - I understand why it happens.

As Vitter was a personal problem, you could possibly include that we knew that Clinton lied about Genefer Flowers - exposing two weaknesses - his bimbo problem as his own campaign caller it and his willingness to not be completely honest. However, he was then a media favorite and an inspiring candidate. (I think personal transgressions less important, but this is a case where we wanted a person we saw as a winning candidate. That ANY Democrat would have won by November 1992 was not foreseen. Here, at one point, Christie looked like the only Republican who could beat Hillary Clinton - had that remained, the Republicans might have been ready to "see no evil". As it hasn't, I assume that they might revert to their dislike of him.)

[Botany]

22. Kasich is not a long shot at all

He is out kissing Sheldon Adelson's ass right now.

[monmouth3]

2. Ms. Kelly has learned the hard way "it's a man's world." n/t

[George II]

4. A $1M character assassination!

[Faygo Kid]

5. Stay safe, Bridget. "Nervous and weepy?"

Perhaps prone to "commit suicide?" I think she's in physical danger. Christie has no limits, as we've learned.

[karynnj]

8. Nervous and weepy - but able to find the energy to mastermind

this entire effort to punish Fort Lee.

[Treant]

23. They forgot a few things

like "prone to irrational actions one week a month."

[Voice for Peace]

32. I caught something Christie said, I think to Diane Sawyer,

about Bridget Kelly -- ie if she chooses to testify, not being
credible. They have been setting her up as unreliable,
keeping their fingers crossed for when she spills
the beans.

[warrior1]

7. so CC is saying she had all this

power to make this happen with nothing but an email. She had all these people go along with this, again with just an email?

Really!??

[WinkyDink]

9. When push comes to shove, Big Tough Guys let a woman take the fall.

Leona. Martha.

[KansDem]

36. Maybe on her way out he'll hold the door for her?

[LibDemAlways]

10. This is the best they could come up with? Throw

Kelly completely and thoroughly under the bus and let it roll over her a few times for good measure? And they expect her to take it? Good luck with that. She needs both physical protection and immunity at this point. And when both are firmly in place and she's ready to sing, her voice will shake the rafters. Christie and his posse are fools.

[cosmicone]

11. Whose report is this? Says "internal report"

meaning it came from the NJ Governor's office right?


The story doesn't say who ordered the investigation, who carried it out and whose signature/s are on the report.


Looks like a disinformation campaign to me.

[Voice for Peace]

34. Christie's lawyers did a thorough internal investigation.

The report was covered very well by Rachel Maddow.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show

The cost for the investigation and report by his
own lawyers, essentially exonerating him, cost the
NJ taxpayers $1 million.

It is so ridiculous, in fact it IS a disinformation
campaign, and I think perhaps designed for the
purpose of undermining the credibility of Bridget
Kelly, giving her version of what happened,
when she is ready to talk.

Already her lawyers have denounced the report
as sexist and otherwise stupid.

[cosmicone]

35. So I suspected -- thanks for the info and the link. n/t

[marions ghost]

12. Suddenly I'm more on Bridget Kelly's side

than I was in the first place. We are being asked to believe that she had no accomplices, no one to report to? A million dollar bogus study says so? Isolating her makes them look more stupid than ever. She's learning the hard way about getting into bed with crooks and liars.

But the Christie Juggernaut needs to be stopped.

[Skittles]

47. I'll say it again: redeem yourself, Ms. Kelly

sing and take that lying bastard down

[marions ghost]

49. She'll have her chance

I think. Let the Christie team throw all their lies down. Gives her more credibility.

She can crucify them in one blow. She will not take the fall alone, IMO.

[Beacool]

13. Their investigation means squat. These are Christie's cronies.

It was not an objective investigation. They never had access to the main players: Kelly, Wildstein, Stepien and Baroni. Their conclusions were also quite sexist and prompted Kelly to make a public statement, her first one since her resignation.

What has me additionally ticked off is that we the tax payer's of NJ are expected to foot the bill for this so called "investigation".

[Botany]

20. There is a "paper trail" showing that Baroni told C.C.'s campaign manger, about the ....

.... lane shut downs as they were happening.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024680873

BTW I liked how the Port Authority's head Samson dropped the leasing
price of some property that was owned by the P.A. to one of Samson's
law firm's clients from $1,000,000 per year to $1 per year.

But we in OH have Kasich and he and his buddies sold all the profits of
state liquor sales to themselves for the next 10 or 15 years by borrowing
money from the "back end of the deal."

At one time America had republicans who were good and cared about the
people but now we have crooks who protect the rich, pander to the christian
right, try to make so people can't vote, and they are trying to kill public
education too.

[NastyRiffraff]

14. Watch it, Bridget

This goes beyond character assassination, which it surely is. Christie will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing, to protect himself. This woman was definitely involved in the bridge scandal, but to say she acted completely alone is ludicrous.

I agree that she needs protection. I don't want to read that she committed suicide.

[Treant]

25. With Christie's intellect

She'd commit suicide by being hit by a bus, then chopping herself into 1" cubes, putting herself in a cooler, and throwing herself in the Delaware river.

I'm sure they'll give her immunity and protection, so my level of concern isn't that high. Her passing now or during the investigation would raise a huge red flag both with the investigators and the public.

[kairos12]

15. Between Kelly and Christie who is the more likely godzilla who closed the bridge?

[lostincalifornia]

16. Even the cryptic email she sent, "time for traffic problems", more than suggests other people were

involved

[LiberalFighter]

27. Conspiracy

It was planned ahead of time.

[Kingofalldems]

17. So as a result of a breakup she decided to close a bridge?

'I love that story.'-----Pee Wee Herman

[CTyankee]

26. I can't figure out how that could possibly make sense...

unless what they are saying is that she is/was out of her mind...

[Helen Borg]

19. Imagine what this guy would do if he was President...

Imagine the lengths at which he would go to cover things up, and how much public money he would waste in the process.

[Jack Rabbit]

24. OK . . .

If they had left out the crap about her sex life, I might find this more credible.

Right now, it smells like the waterbuggers volunteering John Dean to take the blame for the cover up, apparently without asking him first. As I recall at that point in time, he didn't take it laying down.

[PearliePoo2]

28. Did CC make Kelly an offer that she would be handsomely rewarded

for the tire tracks down her back?
His internal report says she is unstable, weepy and the "dump-ee" in an affair. She immediately responds with the expected outrage.
Could this all be a plan for her to take the hit, but he will surely make it up to her? ($$)
In other words, "Stay with me here honey, hang in there and take the abuse...it WILL be worth it."

[oldandhappy]

29. You betcha, wink wink

Always a pile on.

Something is good, there is a rush to get their names attached.
Something not good, must be a woman.

[adieu]

30. Threw her under the bus

and ran over her several times, I see.

I think she'll be happy to release some documents, thank you. See you in court, fatso.

[donco]

31. Yet this weekend

he is in Nevada mooching campaign donations from Sheldon Adelson.Go figure.

[wheniwasincongress]

33. Clearly Miss Bridget was using her feminine wileys to order the lane closures

She was on her period when she did it too, so that accounts for the craziness of her actions!

[Skittles]

48. feminine wileys

[Brigid]

37. If I were Bridget Kelly . . .

I would have been singing like Maria Callas long ago.
.

[2banon]

38. I knew this was going to happen. I tried to warn everyone..

did anybody listen? noooooooope. oh well. I recognize there's a learning curve wrt our fake democracy and racist/classist/misogynist system of "justice".. just so hard to watch everyone's hopes go sky high for justice when it isn't going to happen.

[benld74]

39. Bridget Meet the bus. Mr. Bus Meet Bridget

[Iggo]

40. Lone conspirator?

Am I reading that wrong?

[Skittles]

41. come on Bridget, fight back

I don't like you either but you need to take a stand for WOMEN here

[Enthusiast]

42. Only the extremely gullible would believe such a thing.

[cynzke]

43. I think that...

this slimy report contains a not so subtle but arrogant warning to Kelly what she can expect in retaliation/response from Christie going forward, should she talk too much. It also suggest, this internal investigation was really to find the chinks in the armor and deal with them. A message to Kelly she won't find any support or aid from her co-workers should they be examined.

[Shoonra]

44. Chris Christie is hurting himself

Frankly, if Chris Christie had stepped up when this story started and said something like "Yes, I did it. It was intended to be a minor prank, I hadn't anticipated that it was cause so much chaos and trouble. I accept all the blame. I'm very sorry and will never do it again" it would have made a better impression on voters outside NJ than his constant dodge-and-weave to avoid all responsibility.

[Botany]

45. Glad you are here .... grab a little something for yourself

[Politicalboi]

46. Welcome to DU

I heard at one time, the lane closures were supposed to go on for 4 months. That's some prank. 4 days was too long. Had it been 4 hours, it never would have seen the light of day.