Wildstein: Christie press secretary told of retaliatory bridge scheme

NEWARK, N.J. - The former Port Authority official who plotted the lane closures at the George Washington Bridge in September 2013 testified Wednesday that he told Gov. Christie's press secretary a couple of months later that the traffic jams had been implemented to punish a mayor who had refused to endorse Christie's reelection campaign.

In his fourth day of testimony, David Wildstein said Wednesday in federal court that he told Michael Drewniak on Dec. 4, 2013, that "others in the governor's office had been involved" and approved of the plan. News stories were growing "out of control," and Wildstein needed to resign and "take responsibility," he said he told Drewniak.

"He was quite upset," Wildstein testified.

Drewniak said he would speak with Kevin O'Dowd, Christie's chief of staff, about the matter in the morning, according to the testimony. Wildstein also relayed to Drewniak that he and Bill Baroni, a former top Port Authority official, had told Christie at a 9/11 commemorative event about traffic jams in Fort Lee, Bergen County.

Drewniak has acknowledged that he met with Wildstein that day and that Wildstein told him about others' involvement. But Drewniak has denied knowing that the lane closures were punitive in nature.

Drewniak's attorney, Anthony Iacullo, said, "I was not in court today, and I'm not in a position to comment on the testimony given. What I will say is, Michael was questioned extensively by the legislative committee investigating this matter. He answered all their questions truthfully and completely, and he stands by his responses given."

The former press secretary in 2014 told a legislative committee investigating the lane closures that he told Christie the next day, Dec. 5, about Wildstein's recounting of the 9/11 conversation, as well as Wildstein's assertions that Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Stepien, two top aides to the governor, had known of the closures.

Christie has denied knowledge of the lane closures. "What, he tells me something about a traffic study and I'm supposed to know what he's talking about?" Christie told his press secretary, according to Drewniak's 2014 testimony before the legislative committee.

Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, and Baroni, Christie's top executive appointee at the Port Authority, are charged with misusing agency resources, wire fraud, and civil rights violations. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey runs the bridge and other transportation hubs.

Wildstein pleaded guilty in 2015 to conspiracy charges and is cooperating with the government.

Prosecutors allege that Kelly and Baroni conspired with Wildstein and others to cause traffic jams in Fort Lee to punish the town's Democratic mayor, Mark Sokolich, because he had refused to endorse the Republican governor's reelection.

The lanes were closed Sept. 9 to 13, 2013.

Two days after his meeting with Drewniak, Wildstein met with Christie's chief counsel, Charles McKenna. He told McKenna that the lane closures were his idea and agreed to resign, Wildstein told jurors. It was unclear whether Wildstein told McKenna the motivation behind the traffic jams.

Wildstein said Kelly was "very upset" upon learning of his resignation. "I'm sorry, so sorry," Kelly told Wildstein, according to his testimony. "I said, 'Bridget, don't worry about this. I'll take this. This is on me.' "

Across the courtroom, Kelly was shaking her head.

A week after Wildstein's meetings with Drewniak and McKenna, Christie told reporters that he had "absolutely no reason to believe" his staff implemented the lane closures for political retribution. The governor said his campaign manager, Stepien, had assured him of the same.

Despite his resignation, Wildstein said Wednesday, he expected to play "some sort of role in advancing Gov. Christie's political future."

"I had been told by others that I was still on the governor's team, that I was still valued as a member of the team," Wildstein testified. "I was told at some point that Gov. Christie was happy that I had stepped up and taken responsibility."

In May 2014 testimony to the New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation, Drewniak described Wildstein as an "extremely hands-on, involved person" who insisted that the lane closures were part of a traffic study.

"I, too, would like to know from those who hatched and carried out this scheme, just what it was they hoped to accomplish and - very simply - why?" Drewniak said under oath.

On Wednesday, Wildstein testified that Baroni lied in 2013 to a separate legislative committee investigating the lane closures.

On Nov. 25, 2013, Baroni texted Wildstein a photo of the actor Harvey Keitel from the movie Pulp Fiction, in which he plays the role of Mr. Wolfe, a troubleshooter who instructs two hit men how to clean up a dead body.

The text was sent the same day Baroni would testify before the Assembly Transportation Committee.

At the Sept. 11 ceremony in Manhattan, Wildstein explained, he gathered with Christie, Baroni, Port Authority Chairman David Samson, and a few aides. When Christie met Wildstein's assistant, the governor referred to Wildstein as "Winston Wolfe from Pulp Fiction," according to the testimony.

So on the day Baroni was set to testify, Wildstein understood the text message to mean "he was going to Trenton to fix the problem," as Wolfe does in the film.

Wildstein texted back: "$1," a reference to the movie Trading Places.

It "meant that if Mr. Baroni was able to fix the problem, I would give him $1," Wildstein said.

Prosecutors showed jurors video clips of Baroni's testimony before the Assembly committee, in which he explained the lane closures were part of a traffic study. Baroni said that three of the 12 lanes on the upper toll plaza of the bridge were typically designated for Fort Lee residents, an arrangement he argued was unfair to the vast majority of commuters.

With the exception of one legislator, "every one of you on this committee has people in your communities who sit in longer traffic every day because of the special lanes for Fort Lee," Baroni said in the clip shown to jurors.

The lanes were not dedicated to Fort Lee residents, Wildstein testified, and Baroni knew that.

Wildstein said he arranged for State Sen. Kevin O'Toole, a Republican loyal to Christie, to release a statement praising Baroni's testimony.

The bridge scandal was still unfolding, and less than a month later, on Dec. 12, the governor's office forced Baroni to resign, effective immediately.

A little more than a month later, Wildstein signed a plea agreement.

aseidman@phillynews.com

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@AndrewSeidman