FORT LEE, NJ — It’s time for some political problems in Bergen County. Bridget Anne Kelly, the senior aide to former Governor Chris Christie, who these days just goes by the name “Chris” is running for office. Kelly put her name into the ring seeking the Bergen County Republican nomination for County Clerk. Kelly, if you remember was the mom who Christ Christie hung out to dry and let take the brunt of the Bridgegate scandal squarely on her shoulders.
Some even say Christie’s willingness to let Kelly take all the heat was one of the factors that kept him out of President Donald J. Trump’s administration. That and the President’s top advisor, son-in-law Jared Kushner probably didn’t want him around the White House either.
In September of 2013, Kellly sent the infamous, “It’s time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” text. Kelly, who served as Christie’s deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, the executive director of the Port Authority were both charged and convicted for their crimes. The third criminal co-conspirator in the scandal was David Wildstein who also worked at the Port Authority. Wildstein, who now serves as the editor of the Florida-based “New Jersey Globe” political blog site turned state’s witness and testified against Kelly and Baroni after pleading guilty to his charges.
Kelly testified that she was not part of a plan for political retribution against Fort Lee mayor, Democrat Mark Sokolich. She was eventually convicted, but her case was overturned in the U.S. Supreme Court, exonerating her.
She claims Wildstein, Christie, and others tried to destroy her by making her the face of Bridgegate.
Photo by Phil Stilton