By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
In swirling snow, Bridgegate defendants Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni arrived at federal court in an effort to pry loose executive emails and text messages they claim are crucial to their case: messages to and from high-level staffers in the governor’s office, sent in September 2013 while traffic backed up on those closed access lanes from Fort Lee to the George Washington Bridge. They left with good news: the judge empowered them to subpoena that information from Gov. Chris Christie’s law firm, Gibson Dunn and Crutcher.
“These are highly critical time periods involving significant people, so we anticipate that the information will be very useful,” said Michael Critchley Jr., Kelly’s attorney.
Why is that crucial for their case? “Because Gibson Dunn withheld emails from the week of the closures, between people who are key to the government’s case,” said Michael Baldassare, Baroni’s attornehy. But they claim that had nothing to do with the bridge. “I understand that. Gibson Dunn claims a lot of things,” he said.
Baroni — a Christie appointee — was deputy executive director of the Port Authority. Kelly — Christie’s former deputy chief of staff — sent the now infamous, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email to Christie’s Port Authority appointee, David Wildstein. It’s Wildstein who ordered the lane closures — allegedly as political retribution against Fort Lee’s mayor for refusing to endorse the governor’s re-election. He later pleaded guilty.
“Any communication related to David Wildstein is relevant and we expect would be helpful for our defense,” Critchley said.
Christie fired Kelly and claims he had no knowledge of the bridge lane closure. Christie hired Gibson Dunn to look into the scandal and after a controversial, $8 million investigation, it subsequently cleared the governor of any wrongdoing. The firm claims certain emails and texts are privileged documents.
“They’re essentially telling the governor and the defense to ‘trust us’ and we frankly don’t believe they are entitled to that trust and we want to see the documents,” Baldassare said. Why aren’t they entitled to that trust? “I think the court issued an opinion a month or two ago expressing grave concerns over the manner in which Gibson Dunn has acted in this case, in terms of the gamesmanship and the calculated strategy,” Baldassare said.
But Gibson Dunn attorney Randy Mastro said, “There is nothing more to be provided by our firm or the governor’s office relating to the GWB lane realignment, beyond the many documents previously produced to the U.S. Attorney’s Office pursuant to a federal grand jury subpoena…”
Records show the firm contributed almost $68,000 to Christie’s presidential campaign. Defense attorneys assured the judge that they’re working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to obtain a significant amount of searchable evidence before trial.
Baroni commented briefly. “Very encouraged today,” he said.
Baroni’s asked for a change of venue, which the judge seemed to think was unlikely. The trial’s scheduled to start in May and could last six weeks.