Two top lieutenants from Gov. Chris Christie’s (R-NJ) administration were found guilty on Friday for orchestrating a 2013 shutdown of traffic onto the George Washington Bridge as an act of political retribution.
Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni were indicted for multiple counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and other charges by federal prosecutors. The convictions carry a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars, but according to the New York Times, prosecutors are unlikely to ask for lengthy sentences.
The two defendants are just the latest Christie staffers to be found guilty in the Bridgegate scandal. David Wildstein, a former senior official with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who pleaded guilty last year for his role in the affair, was the prosecution’s star witness against Kelly and Baroni, and testified that both were directly aware of the motivations behind the lane closures and involved in the subsequent cover-up.
The defense tried to portray Wildstein as vindictive and untrustworthy, but they also sought to place blame with Gov. Christie himself. During the trial, Kelly—a former deputy chief of staff—said that she was given direct authorization from the governor before sending the email that initiated the closures.
The prosecution also sought to tie Christie to the scandal. Wildstein testified that Christie was made aware of the bridge closures as they were happening, not months later as Christie has repeatedly stated over the years.
Though Christie was not a party in this lawsuit, the possibility remains that more charges will be brought against government officials. Christie is already facing a criminal complaint brought by a New Jersey resident, and last month a judge ruled that the suit could move forward.
Since the closures more than three years ago, Christie’s political fortunes have plummeted. Once considered a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, his campaign quickly fizzled this summer, and the unresolved litigation torpedoed any aspirations he had for the vice presidency.