Christie Crime Digest-Volume IV

[Laxman]

16. It Was A Very Interesting First Day....

of the trial. For not actually being on trial, Mr. Christie took a beating from both the defense and the prosecution.

Christie Takes a Beating in Bridgegate Trial Opening: 10 Takeaways

1. Christie knew. Since the Bridgegate scandal broke, the key organizer of the lane closures, David Wildstein, who has pleaded guilty, has hinted that “evidence exists” that Christie knew of the closures while they were happening. Now, prosecutors came out and said it. On the third day of the closures, at a Sept. 11 memorial service at the World Trade Center, Wildstein and defendant Bill Baroni had a “precious few minutes with Gov. Christie," assistant U.S. attorney Vikas Khanna told the jury. The pair "bragged about the traffic problems they were having in Fort Lee and that Mayor Sokolich was not getting his calls returned.” Christie hasn’t explicitly denied that Wildstein raised the issue of the traffic jams at that event, but has said he wouldn’t remember it if Wildstein had, because traffic problems are so common in New Jersey. Today’s arguments indicate that Christie was told about the closures, and not just in passing.

2. “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email was just a joke. Michael Critchley, attorney for Bridget Anne Kelly, told jurors that the smoking gun email was banter, just a joke, exchanged as part of a casual conversation with Wildstein. The mother of four going through a divorce at the time of the email was juggling lower-level duties -- ordering food for events and scheduling meetings at the governor’s mansion. “The idea that Bridget Kelly is directing the affairs of the state of New Jersey, ordering the shutdown of the George Washington Bridge...it’s almost absurd,” Critchley said. He argued that Kelly was a “scapegoat,” blamed by the governor’s lawyers for the lane closures to protect Christie’s nascent presidential campaign. “They wanted to throw her under the presidential bus.”

3. Bridgegate felon David Wildstein was Christie's master of political dark arts. According to Baroni’s defense attorney, Christie referred to Wildstein as his “fixer.” The governor used to joke that Wildstein was his Mr. Wolf from the movie Pulp Fiction, the Harvey Keitel character who cleans up the bodies. Christie has said he barely met with Wildstein while he was governor, but in court, defense attorneys said the evidence will show Christie kept close tabs on Wildstein.

Read the rest of the 10 takeaways here: http://www.wnyc.org/story/christie-takes-beating-bridgegate-trial-opening-10-takeaways/ although I reiterate with regard to #2 here, if "time for some traffic" was just a joke then please explain "is it wrong that I'm smiling". Is Mr. Critchley hoping the jury won't notice?