Bridget Anne Kelly
| Bridget Anne Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Born: | 1972 New Jersey |
| Charges: | |
| Sentence: | Originally 13 months (vacated) |
| Facility: | N/A |
| Status: | Conviction vacated (May 2020) |
Bridget Anne Kelly is an American former political operative who served as Deputy Chief of Staff to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. In 2017, she was convicted for her role in the "Bridgegate" scandal—the politically motivated closure of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge in September 2013. However, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously vacated her conviction in May 2020, ruling that while her conduct was corrupt and an abuse of power, it did not constitute federal fraud.
Early Career
Bridget Anne Kelly built her career in New Jersey Republican politics, working her way up through various positions in the state government. She eventually became Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Chris Christie, one of the most powerful positions in his administration.
The Bridgegate Scandal
Background
In 2013, Chris Christie was seeking reelection as Governor of New Jersey. His administration actively courted endorsements from Democratic politicians, including mayors, as part of a strategy to demonstrate bipartisan appeal.
Mark Sokolich, the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, declined to endorse Christie for reelection. Fort Lee sits at the New Jersey end of the George Washington Bridge, one of the world's busiest bridges connecting New Jersey to New York City.
The Lane Closures
On August 13, 2013, Kelly sent a now-infamous email to David Wildstein, a Christie ally at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
On September 9, 2013—the first day of school—the Port Authority closed two of the three local access lanes from Fort Lee to the George Washington Bridge. The closures were implemented without notice to Fort Lee officials or the public.
The result was massive traffic gridlock in Fort Lee that lasted four days. The traffic backup:
- Delayed emergency responders
- Trapped school buses with children
- Caused hours-long commutes for residents
- Created significant public safety hazards
Port Authority officials initially claimed the closures were for a "traffic study," but this explanation was later revealed to be false.
The Cover-Up
When questions arose about the lane closures, Christie administration officials and Port Authority allies attempted to maintain the fiction that the closures were a legitimate traffic study. Internal communications later revealed there was no actual study, and the closures were ordered as political retaliation against Mayor Sokolich.
Scandal Erupts
In January 2014, Kelly's "time for some traffic problems" email became public through a document release, exposing the political motivation behind the closures. The scandal dominated national news and severely damaged Christie's reputation as he was considered a leading candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Criminal Prosecution
Federal Charges
In May 2015, a federal grand jury indicted Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni, a former Port Authority deputy executive director, on charges of:
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
- Wire fraud
- Conspiracy to deprive Fort Lee residents of their civil rights
- Misapplication of property of an organization receiving federal benefits
David Wildstein, who had carried out the lane closures, pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors.
Trial and Conviction
Kelly and Baroni were tried together in federal court in Newark in fall 2016. Both were convicted on all counts on November 4, 2016.
At trial, prosecutors argued that Kelly and Baroni had used their positions to misappropriate Port Authority property (the bridge lanes) and defraud the public of their right to honest services from government officials.
Sentencing
In March 2017, U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton sentenced Kelly to 13 months in federal prison, followed by supervised release. Baroni received 18 months.
Kelly tearfully testified at sentencing, expressing remorse while also suggesting she was being made a scapegoat for more powerful figures who escaped accountability.
Appeals
Third Circuit Appeal
Kelly and Baroni appealed their convictions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. In November 2018, the appeals court upheld the convictions, ruling that the defendants had committed fraud by deceiving the Port Authority and the public.
Supreme Court
Kelly and Baroni petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case. The case, styled Kelly v. United States, was argued in January 2020.
Supreme Court Decision
On May 7, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously vacated the convictions of both Kelly and Baroni in a decision written by Justice Elena Kagan.
The Ruling
The Court found that while Kelly's conduct was "an abuse of power" and "corrupt," it did not meet the legal requirements for federal fraud:
Key Legal Points
The Court's reasoning centered on several points:
- The federal fraud statutes require defendants to have sought "money or property"
- Regulatory decisions about how to allocate government resources (like bridge lanes) do not constitute "property" under fraud law
- The lane closure was an exercise of regulatory power, however corrupt, not a theft of property
- The government failed to identify any money or property that was the object of the scheme
Impact
The decision represented a significant limitation on federal prosecutors' ability to use fraud statutes against state and local officials whose corruption does not involve actual theft or personal financial gain.
Aftermath
No Prison Time
Because the Supreme Court vacated her conviction before she began serving her sentence, Kelly never went to federal prison. Her conviction was dismissed with prejudice, meaning she cannot be recharged for the same conduct.
Public Response
The Supreme Court's decision was controversial. Many observers noted the irony that clearly wrongful and potentially dangerous conduct—traffic gridlock that delayed emergency responders—went unpunished because of narrow technical requirements in federal fraud law.
Chris Christie
Governor Christie was never charged in connection with Bridgegate, though the scandal effectively ended his 2016 presidential aspirations. Christie has consistently denied knowledge of the lane closure scheme, though David Wildstein testified that Christie was informed about the closures while they were occurring.
David Wildstein
Wildstein, who cooperated with prosecutors, received probation rather than prison time. The Supreme Court's ruling effectively meant his cooperation was in service of a prosecution that was ultimately deemed legally insufficient.
Legacy
The Bridgegate case had significant implications:
Political Impact
- Destroyed Christie's presidential aspirations
- Became shorthand for petty political retaliation
- Raised questions about accountability in the Christie administration
Legal Impact
- Limited the scope of federal fraud statutes
- Made it harder to prosecute state and local corruption that doesn't involve monetary theft
- Raised questions about gaps in federal criminal law
Kelly's Situation
While legally vindicated, Kelly's career in politics was effectively over. She became the face of a scandal that brought down a presidential hopeful, even as the Supreme Court ruled her conduct, however wrong, was not criminal.
See Also
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was Bridgegate?
Bridgegate was a 2013 scandal in which aides to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered politically motivated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, causing massive traffic gridlock in Fort Lee as retaliation against the town's mayor for not endorsing Christie.
Q: Did Bridget Anne Kelly go to prison?
No. Although Kelly was initially sentenced to 13 months in prison, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously vacated her conviction in May 2020 before she began serving her sentence.
Q: Why did the Supreme Court overturn the Bridgegate convictions?
The Supreme Court ruled that while Kelly's conduct was corrupt and an abuse of power, it did not constitute federal fraud because the scheme did not seek to obtain money or property—the bridge lanes were a regulatory resource, not property under fraud law.
Q: What was the famous Bridgegate email?
Kelly sent an email to a Port Authority official saying "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," which ordered the politically motivated lane closures that caused the scandal.
Q: Was Chris Christie charged in Bridgegate?
No, Governor Christie was never charged. He denied knowledge of the scheme, though testimony suggested he was informed about the closures while they were happening.
References