David Wildstein Avoids Prison Time In Bridgegate Scandal — Turned On Chris Christie
GOP Pals: Chris Christie, left, and David Wildstein, right, as they appeared in high school yearbook photos.
The mastermind of the Bridgegate lane closure scandal, which helped derail New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s presidential ambitions, avoided a prison sentence on Wednesday, after U.S. prosecutors praised his help in their investigation.
David Wildstein, 55, a former executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a high school classmate of Christie’s, provided the key evidence that led to the conviction of two Christie allies.
“Were it not for Mr. Wildstein’s cooperation, it is unlikely that we are even here today,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Cortes told U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton in federal court in Newark, New Jersey.
The judge sentenced Wildstein to three years of probation, noting that he was the only figure in the scandal to accept responsibility for his actions.
Wildstein concocted a scheme to shut down access lanes at the George Washington Bridge in September 2013, causing massive traffic jams as punishment for a local Democratic mayor who declined to support Christie’s gubernatorial re-election bid.
Christie, who was never charged, has denied any involvement, despite Wildstein’s testimony that the governor was aware of the plot as it unfolded.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
