NEWARK – Former Port Authority official David Wildstein today pleaded guilty to a two count information, admitting to a federal judge that he conspired with Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni to close lanes of traffic leading to the George Washington Bridge as punishment to Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich.
Wildstein affirmed that he and Kelly—then the deputy chief of staff to Gov. Chris Christie and Baroni, then the deputy chief of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey—came up with the scheme as a response to Sokolich’s decision not to endorse Christie’s 2013 reelection.
A slimmed down and semi-bearded 53-year old Wildstein—former editor of the Observer’s sister website, PolitickerNJ—appeared at the arraignment in a courtroom packed with press alongside his attorney Alan Zegas. By pleading guilty to the two counts—one detailing interference with Fort Lee residents and the second focusing on his misuse of Port resources—he waived an indictment.
Read more at our sister website, PolitickerNJ.
