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Watch As Former Chris Christie Aide Bridget Anne Kelly Pleads The Fifth In Bridgegate
Moments ago, a hearing started in which the ongoing investigation of the George Washington bridge closure will focus on the role of Bridget Anne Kelly, Christe's former deputy chief of staff. The state legislative committee investigating the matter seeks to retrieve subpoenaed documents from Bridget Anne Kelly, and Bill Stepien, his former campaign manager. Just like in the case of IRS commissioner Lois Lerner, so Kelly is expected to plead the fifth. Watch the hearing below.
As reported earlier by Bloomberg:
A New Jersey judge is set to hear arguments today over whether two former aides to Governor Chris Christie must comply with subpoenas by lawmakers seeking documents related to the George Washington Bridge traffic jams.
Bridget Anne Kelly and William Stepien asserted their constitutional right to silence, saying that producing documents would harm them in a criminal investigation by U.S. prosecutors. Kelly’s e-mail saying “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” came almost a month before Christie allies directed the shutdown of access lanes to the bridge from Sept. 9 to Sept. 12.
A legislative committee investigating the lane closings has urged a judge in Trenton, New Jersey, to rule that the Fifth Amendment doesn’t protect Kelly and Stepien from having to produce documents. Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson will decide whether they must hand over documents that could shed light on who ordered the tie-ups and why -- questions that may imperil Christie’s possible White House bid in 2016.
And courtesy of NJ.com, here is a deeper look at they key players in this morning's hearing in Trenton:
BRIDGET ANNE KELLY
Former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Chris Christie
Kelly was a longtime staffer to state Assemblyman David Russo (R-Bergen) before Christie hired her in 2010 as director of legislative relations. In April, Kelly, 41, was promoted to Christie's deputy chief of staff for legislative and intergovernmental affairs, dealing with officials at all levels of government, faith-based and community groups and trade associations. But Christie fired her on Jan. 9 after emails surfaced showing she apparently had advance knowledge of the lane closures at the George Washington bridge. In a now-infamous email she sent weeks before the closures, Kelly said: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
Bridget Anne Kelly's attorney
Described as having the style of "a professional fighter" who throws "questions like punches," Critchley has represented clients as diverse as failed presidential candidate John Edwards' mistress Rielle Hunter, the Archdiocese of Newark, and former Essex County Executive James Treffinger. He is perhaps best known for leading the defense team for 20 reputed members of the Lucchese crime family acquitted of racketeering charges in 1988. He represented Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez, acquitted of bribery charges in the 2009 FBI sting that netted 46 politicians and rabbis. His pro bono work included a $5 million settlement from the state for a foster child abused by his family.
BILL STEPIEN
Christie's former campaign manager
Stepien was one of Christie's closest aides, the political ace who ran both of his campaigns for governor and a behind-the-scenes enforcer who kept Republican troops in line in every county and township. He cut his teeth working with Michael DuHaime, Christie's top strategist, on Giuliani's presidential campaign and other races. Stepien also worked closely with Bridget Anne Kelly; Christie fired Kelly and cut ties with Stepien as the bridge scandal began to unfold.
KEN MARINO
Bill Stepien's attorney
A prominent criminal defense lawyer, Marino's name often shows up in New Jersey's biggest legal battles. He defended a Goldman Sachs programmer from West Orange accused of stealing the bank's software code. He defended a West Windsor businessman accused of stealing $13 million in tax dollars and worker compensation premiums. He has represented cities and contractors fighting over millions of dollars.
Democratic state Assemblyman from Middlesex County, co-chair of the New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation
Wisniewski, 51, served as Democratic state chairman from 2010-13, during which he honed his skills as the party's main attack dog against Christie. Wisniewski also led Democrats' successful effort to redraw the legislative district map, putting in place districts that have helped Democrats retain their majority in both houses of the Legislature. Since 2002, Wisniewski has chaired the Assembly's influential transportation committee, which put him in place to help lead the investigation into the bridge controversy.
Democratic state Senator from Bergen County
Weinberg, 79, is a 22-year veteran of the New Jersey Legislature. In 2009, then-Gov. Jon Corzine selected her as his running mate in his unsuccessful re-election bid against Christie. Weinberg, whose district includes Fort Lee, was among the first lawmakers to question why the lanes were closed, filing a public records request seeking information and documents related to the issue in November. She is now co-chair of the joint legislative committee investigating the scandal.
Attorney for the joint legislative committee
Schar gained prominence for being the federal prosecutor who led the corruption case against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was found guilty of multiple corruption charges in June 2011 — including those related to his attempt to essentially sell the Illinois U.S. Senate seat that had been vacated by President Obama. Schar is now a partner at the law firm Jenner & Block LLP and co-chairs the firm's "white collar defense and investigations practice." He was hired in January as special counsel to the state legislative committee investigating the bridge controversy.
Superior Court judge
Jacobson, a 60-year-old Bayonne native, was appointed to a Superior Court justice in 2001 by then-Gov. Christie Whitman. She gained national attention last September when she ruled that New Jersey must allow same-sex marriages in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.
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I much rather watch Dave Chapelle plead the Fifth.
Yea i'll take a fifth, I mean the fifth.
Why is this a SCANDAL, when none of Barry's shit ever is???
Oh yes, the open sewer of New Yawk.
All you need is one piece of evidence pointing to his <insert your favorite attribute of Ner0bie (sounds like the capital of...)> to make it on the MSM networks.
Of course, they raised him, so they wouldn't do that.
This is a scandal because it doesn't cross the red line established by the deep state - it's ok to feed off of a politician, provided the investigation doesn't eventually lead to the having to pull back the curtain. Then it's just a nice distraction while the keptoligarchy continues to steal everything you have.
Kind of a monkey face, but I'd give her another pearl necklace.
or deploy the air guitar while redefining irrational exuberance from behind.
Looking a little stressed, are we? This woman has borderline personality disorder (wiki it...). She'll drag everybody under the bus with her. Between her, Ukraine, gun confiscation in Connecticut, Fukushima, and the ongoing collapse of civilization, we'll have plenty of entertainment in the months to come...
Regrettable that she took the fifth as apparently one of the kwerstions to be asked is whether or not she ever took a ride on Christie's man Gunt ( which in general terms is typically referred to as a "bad pad").
In my opinion Christie could not have not known and just like all the scandals BErri the bumhacker is covering up - it merely shows that the mainstream politicians are merely modern day pharisees - all evil, yet adorded by many of the anti depressant addled masses.
Gotta love it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko2bgDNZ9q4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdeo7Q2E5cE
Just another circus to divert peoples's attention from the truth. We are all slaves and we are being robbed blind.
Is it April fools day? wtf? It must really be CIA vs NSA
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101481674
Yeah, I just caught that, too. It's a more interesting story. Always fun when somebody in Congress complains about the state intelligence apparatus spying on them. Especially when they're on the Sentate Intel Committee that is supposed to oversee those agencies.
I'm shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you!
These statist assholes only defend the constitution when it's convenient for them.
Case in point for that ol' hag Fienstien.
Now this young bitch working for the big rino is going to plead the 5th. Violating the law and the constitution was just fine for her... now she hides behind the provisions against the intent of the 5th amendment.
If you are a govt. employee, elected or appointed - you should not be able to hide behind the 5th amendment when answering questions about decisions you made while acting in that position.
If I fucked something up at work and then refused to answer my bosses questions - he'd surely fire my ass on the spot!!!
When are they going to combine Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees (J.D.) with Proctology Degrees in U.S. Colleges and Universities?
They did long ago because just about every lawyer I know is an asshole.
Why can't we just do this Compton style? Shoot his ass then pour some Colt 45 on the ground.
Too bad for Christie he isn't a democrat (Like Rahm or Corzine).
politicians love the constitution when they need it as a defence... for the rest it's toilet paper to them...
Good grief. Get the emails and recorded calls from the NSA. Boom done.
Every politician and judge is aware of how fast incriminating information can be pulled up and presented when a vote or decision needs to be changed in a hurry.
All communications, records, etc. of govt., govt. employees, elected and appointed representatives should be public domain. They are employed by us and their work and actions should not be hidden from us.
You sound young. Really, really young.
And you sound like a statist. You feel that public representatives should be able to keep their actions and decisions secret and protected? That's the problem with most govt. offices - the secrecy promotes corruption which contributes to social and economic decline. Heck, take a look at some of the U.S.'s former "greatest cities to live in" or cities that were "the fastest growing". Think of communities around Chicago, Detroit, New Jersey, D.C., St. Louis, etc. There are cesspools of corruption that put a huge financial burden on the community and along wtih that the citizens end up mistrusting their lcoal govt. - people sell out to get out... bad elements move in and the downward spiral becomes irreversible. Heck, look at the state of IL... they've got multiple former governors in jail!!!
Roll out the guillotine, we'll have a bladeful of fun.... (sung to Roll out the barrel)
So these attorneys want to be able to "suponea documents that potentially don't exist"? See the fucking REAL problem yet?
Wasting more taaxpayer dollars.
Can't believe this regional horseshit has reeked so much havoc on the nation that we on the west coast need to know this crap!!...MSNBC such a bush league news network...Rachel, Chris, get a real job.
Give her immunity and she will take the rap herself. Don't give her immunity and she's a clam. Just a game people.
Why isn't the intentional disruption of public infrastructure and the intentional disruption of emergency responders being considered a terrorist act?
Don't we have a Department of Homeland Security with a billion or so government employees in it? What do they do all day?
And what if these denials of service were devised by the very government that the people entrusted to make these things run right in the first place?
What does this say about Christie, who hired a malicious dingbat that doesn't have the judgement of a five-year-old to a position at this level? What if a moron like Christie got his hands on the federal government--an infinitely larger and potentially more deadly political toybox? This is a middle-age guy who surrounds himself with high school friends.
Christie knew he wanted to be a politician at age 14, and sought out a mentor. That alone should disqualify him from anything other than scrubbing toilets.
I was dumb enough to think he might be a good guy for a little bit. I am soooo wrong.
Do you think any of them are less manipulative? I don't.
Politcal postions should be something you force on folks, civic duty, like jury duty. It is the only way to get around the business of sociolpaths being attracted to running for these jobs.
"What if a moron like Christie got his hands on the federal government--an infinitely larger and potentially more deadly political toybox? "
What if?
You forgot /s
Sure are a lot more than 2% of tribe member in those names. Better than 50%!
Theater for the sheeple. Watch the actors, while their buddies steal the wealth.
Shut up you idiot, she's going to plead the 5th - you know it, she knows it, the judge knows it.
What a bunch of BULLSHIT.
Hell is a U.S. courtroom.
is Chris Crispy related to Frank Underwood???
I'd hit that.
<Across the face.
<The other way.
In the pooper.
http://catmacros.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/pooper21.jpg?w=720
It might hit back.
Damn. Now I am going to have to relieve myself.
You have got to be kidding me.
Bridge-it. Her name is Bridget?
Cannot make it up.
This seems to be an increasing tendency. Government officials pleading the 5th. That old man Lerner did it too. Is there any cost to pleading it if later evidence of your guilt is unearthed, and evidence of you knowing of such evidence becomes obvious ? There should be.
So if you work for the government, subpoena compliance optional. How nice of them to let a judge decide.
You would be stupid to not plead the 5th with these bottom feeders.