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| Release of Names Linked to George Washington Bridge Scandal Is Delayed | Release of Names Linked to George Washington Bridge Scandal Is Delayed |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Some of the people suspected of having been involved in the scheme to close lanes of traffic to the George Washington Bridge in 2013 received a reprieve from a federal judge on Friday. | Some of the people suspected of having been involved in the scheme to close lanes of traffic to the George Washington Bridge in 2013 received a reprieve from a federal judge on Friday. |
| The judge, Susan Wigenton, of the United States District Court in Newark, had set a deadline of noon on Friday for federal prosecutors to release a list of people who they had not charged with any crimes, but who they contend were involved in a plot to tie up traffic in New Jersey leading to the bridge. | The judge, Susan Wigenton, of the United States District Court in Newark, had set a deadline of noon on Friday for federal prosecutors to release a list of people who they had not charged with any crimes, but who they contend were involved in a plot to tie up traffic in New Jersey leading to the bridge. |
| But late on Thursday, a lawyer for a person on that list of so-called unindicted co-conspirators asked the judge to block the release to protect the reputation of a client identified only as John Doe. The lawyer, Jenny R. Kramer of Chadbourne & Parke in Manhattan, said in her motion that maintaining her client’s anonymity was crucial to preserving his constitutional right against being branded with a “badge of infamy.” | But late on Thursday, a lawyer for a person on that list of so-called unindicted co-conspirators asked the judge to block the release to protect the reputation of a client identified only as John Doe. The lawyer, Jenny R. Kramer of Chadbourne & Parke in Manhattan, said in her motion that maintaining her client’s anonymity was crucial to preserving his constitutional right against being branded with a “badge of infamy.” |
| The judge gave the news organizations that had sought the list until 12:30 p.m. on Friday to respond to Ms. Kramer’s motion and pushed back the deadline for the release of the list until Tuesday. The original deadline was set in an order the judge made on Wednesday, in which she stated that the list should be made public because “there is very little that is private about the lane closures or the lives of the people allegedly connected to them.” | The judge gave the news organizations that had sought the list until 12:30 p.m. on Friday to respond to Ms. Kramer’s motion and pushed back the deadline for the release of the list until Tuesday. The original deadline was set in an order the judge made on Wednesday, in which she stated that the list should be made public because “there is very little that is private about the lane closures or the lives of the people allegedly connected to them.” |
| Bruce Rosen, a lawyer representing the news organizations that sought the list responded on Friday to “the 11th-hour motion by John Doe” with a letter that called the motion “frivolous and desperate” and urged the court to penalize the unidentified man for filing it. Mr. Rosen argued that the motion came too late and failed to show that the man, whose identity would inevitably be disclosed at trial, would suffer irreparable harm from being named as an unindicted co-conspirator now. (The New York Times is among the news organizations seeking access to the list.) | |
| Later on Friday, the judge denied the unidentified man’s request for a stay, a decision his lawyer plans on appealing. | Later on Friday, the judge denied the unidentified man’s request for a stay, a decision his lawyer plans on appealing. |
| The people on the list are the only ones to be officially connected to the lane-closing scheme besides three former allies of Gov. Chris Christie who have already been implicated. | The people on the list are the only ones to be officially connected to the lane-closing scheme besides three former allies of Gov. Chris Christie who have already been implicated. |
| Two of them, Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly, are scheduled to stand trial in September on nine counts, including conspiracy to commit fraud by “knowingly converting and intentionally misapplying property of an organization receiving federal benefits.”. Ms. Kelly was Mr. Christie’s deputy chief of staff; Mr. Baroni was the governor’s top executive appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that operates the bridge. | Two of them, Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly, are scheduled to stand trial in September on nine counts, including conspiracy to commit fraud by “knowingly converting and intentionally misapplying property of an organization receiving federal benefits.”. Ms. Kelly was Mr. Christie’s deputy chief of staff; Mr. Baroni was the governor’s top executive appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that operates the bridge. |
| Mr. Baroni’s deputy at the Port Authority, David Wildstein, pleaded guilty in May 2015, and has said that Mr. Christie knew about the lane closings as they were happening. If that is true, the governor’s name may appear on another list prosecutors drew up, of people prosecutors believe knew about the alleged conspiracy but did not join in it. | Mr. Baroni’s deputy at the Port Authority, David Wildstein, pleaded guilty in May 2015, and has said that Mr. Christie knew about the lane closings as they were happening. If that is true, the governor’s name may appear on another list prosecutors drew up, of people prosecutors believe knew about the alleged conspiracy but did not join in it. |
| Mr. Christie, a Republican, has steadfastly denied knowing about the scheme until afterward. He repeated that assertion on Wednesday, saying at a news conference that it was “highly doubtful” his name would appear on the list of co-conspirators because he had been unaware at the time. | Mr. Christie, a Republican, has steadfastly denied knowing about the scheme until afterward. He repeated that assertion on Wednesday, saying at a news conference that it was “highly doubtful” his name would appear on the list of co-conspirators because he had been unaware at the time. |
| It has been just over a year since Mr. Wildstein pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors working for Paul J. Fishman, the United States attorney for New Jersey. That plea coincided with the indictments of Mr. Baroni and Ms. Kelly. | It has been just over a year since Mr. Wildstein pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors working for Paul J. Fishman, the United States attorney for New Jersey. That plea coincided with the indictments of Mr. Baroni and Ms. Kelly. |
| At the time, Mr. Fishman said, “Based on the evidence that is currently available to us, we’re not going to charge anyone else in this scheme.” | At the time, Mr. Fishman said, “Based on the evidence that is currently available to us, we’re not going to charge anyone else in this scheme.” |
| Ms. Kelly wrote the infamous email that led to the charges, which read, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” That message was widely interpreted to indicate that the lane closings at the bridge were intended as punishment for Mark Sokolich, the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee who had declined to endorse Mr. Christie for re-election. | Ms. Kelly wrote the infamous email that led to the charges, which read, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” That message was widely interpreted to indicate that the lane closings at the bridge were intended as punishment for Mark Sokolich, the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee who had declined to endorse Mr. Christie for re-election. |
| Ms. Kelly said last year that it was “ludicrous” to suggest she was the only one in Mr. Christie’s office who knew of the scheme. | |
| A spokesman for Mr. Fishman said the other list had already been shared with defense lawyers but had not been made public. On Wednesday, Ms. Kelly’s lawyer, Michael Critchley, sent a letter to Judge Wigenton withdrawing a request for that list because he said the government had provided information that satisfied it. | A spokesman for Mr. Fishman said the other list had already been shared with defense lawyers but had not been made public. On Wednesday, Ms. Kelly’s lawyer, Michael Critchley, sent a letter to Judge Wigenton withdrawing a request for that list because he said the government had provided information that satisfied it. |