Prosecutor: Christie Knew About Bridgegate

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was told about the politically-motivated closure of the George Washington Bridge in 2013, according to prosecutors in the lawsuit stemming from the incident, which got underway this week. Prosecutors are trying two of Christie’s former aides, accusing them of coming up with the plan to close the bridge, the busiest in the nation, as retaliation against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for not supporting Christie’s re-election bid. Christie has denied any knowledge of the bridge closure while it was happening, and in 2014 told a New Jersey radio station that he first learned of it through media reports. The bridge closure jammed traffic for hours, and rendered Fort Lee impassable for four straight days. It became a scandal for Christie as he ran for the Republican presidential nomination. Federal prosecutors say former aides William E. Baroni Jr., and Bridget Kelly, and former Port Authority executive David Wildstein conspired to shut the bridge, and then informed Christie of the reason behind the move. Wildstein has pleaded guilty, and is expected to testify against Baroni and Kelly.