Don Jr. loud in support of silencers
TWO FORMER allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were sentenced to prison Wednesday for the petty political vendetta known as the Bridgegate scandal.
Ex-top aide Bridget Kelly was hit with an 18-month sentence while former Port Authority executive Bill Baroni was ordered to spend two years behind bars.
Newark Federal Court Judge Susan Wigenton tore into both defendants for playing integral roles in the September 2013 lane closures on the George Washington Bridge.
“You were portrayed as a victim,” Wigenton told Kelly. “I don’t believe you were a victim. I don’t believe that you would allow yourself to be a victim.”
The judge told Baroni, a lawyer and former state senator, “it could be argued you were more culpable than Ms. Kelly.”
“This was a sad day for the state of New Jersey and particularly a sad day for you, Mr. Baroni,” Wigenton added.
The defendants, speaking to the court before the judge announced their sentences, both expressed remorse for the first time.
But they stopped short of admitting guilt in the politically motivated scheme.
“I never intended to harm anyone,” said Kelly, her voice cracking.
Following her hearing, the single mother of four bolted from the courtroom and into a bathroom.
Baroni delivered an emotional address earlier in the day.
“I regret, more than anything, that I allowed myself to get caught up in this,” Baroni said. “I was wrong. I am truly sorry. And I’ve waited three years to say that.”
Federal prosecutors told the judge they were seeking a prison term of two years for Baroni and “modestly” less for Kelly.
Kelly, 44, and Baroni, 45, will remain free on bail while they appeal their convictions. Their lawyers also vowed to appeal the sentences. The scandal rocked the Christie administration and ravaged the Republican’s oncepromising White House bid. The defendants were found guilty of all charges last November for creating a traffic nightmare in Fort Lee as revenge for its mayor’s refusal to endorse Christie’s reelection. “Bill Baroni did not just corrupt his office,” said prosecutor Lee Cortes. “His crime was worse — he corrupted his office to send a petty and vindictive political message that had real-life consequences on the people he was supposed to serve. “Those are the actions of some dictator of a Banana Republic,” the prosecutor added. Prosecutors said the plan was masterminded by Port Authority official David Wildstein. It was Wildstein, an old high school pal of Christie’s, who received the infamous email from Kelly that prosecutors say set the plot in motion: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”
Wildstein, 55, pleaded guilty and testified against Kelly and Baroni under a cooperation deal.
Christie (inset photo), who was never charged in the case, has denied that he was ever aware of the scheme. But Wildstein testified that Christie knew about the lane closures as they were happening.
In a TV appearance hours before Wednesday’s sentencings, Christie refused to say whether Kelly and Baroni should receive prison time.
“The judge will do what the judge believes appropriate,” he said on NBC’s “Today” show.
The defendants had testified they believed the lanes were closed down as part of a Port Authority traffic study. Their lawyers requested no-jail sentences, arguing that their clients were unwitting pawns in a scheme drummed up by Wildstein.
Outside the courthouse, Kelly turned defiant. “I want to assure my kids and everyone else that this fight is far from over,” she said. “I will not allow myself to be a scapegoat.” GUN ADVOCATES may have found a key ally in Donald Trump Jr. as they push to make silencers easier to buy.
The National Rifle Association and other pro-gun groups have turned to the 39-year-old real estate scion as they seek to loosen restrictions on the devices, according to McClatchy.
In a 38-minute video with Salt Lake City-based SilencerCo. released before the election, Trump’s son endorses the silencers — citing how they can protect a user’s hearing.
“I love your product,” he told SilencerCo CEO Joshua Waldron in the video. “It’s just a great instrument. There’s nothing bad about it at all. It makes total sense. It’s where we should be going.”
A bill has been introduced in both the House and Senate, dubbed the Hearing Protection Act, which claims silencers would save hunters and shooters from ear damage caused by the blast of powerful guns.
Trump Jr., an avid hunter along with his brother Eric, supports the bill.
President Trump, who was backed by the NRA, hasn’t taken a position on the bill.
About 200,000 silencers were sold in 2016, according to McClatchy, up from about 18,000 sold in 2008.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) came out against the bill earlier this month. One problem, she said, was that using silencers would make it harder for the ShotSpotter technology used by the NYPD to track shootings.