Director feared jam could prove fatal
PA trolls sat by for 3 days
THEY knew the George Washington Bridge gridlock could kill someone — and did nothing to stop it.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s top two Port Authority appointees, despite warnings of severely delayed emergency response time, extended the government-sanctioned traffic jams in Fort Lee for three days.
A Sept. 9 email to PA execs Bill Baroni and David Wildstein laid out the life-threatening situation created by the punitive morning rush-hour lane closings at the world’s busiest bridge.
“Wanted you both (to) have a heads-up — Peggy Thomas, Borough Administrator, called me regarding the increased volume and congestion,” wrote PA employee Tina Lado.
“She mentioned there were two incidents that Ft Lee PD and EMS had difficulty responding to: a missing child (later found) and a cardiac arrest ... If there is anything you need me to do, let me know.”
The lanes instead remained closed in the Sept. 9-12 Bridgegate scandal that led to the pair’s resignations. Emails showed Wildstein approving the daily extensions of the “road test.”
Florence Genova, a 91-year-old Fort Lee woman, died on Sept. 9, and local officials said it took twice the usual time for first responders to reach her home.
The bi-state agency’s furious executive director, after learning of the bogus four-day traffic study, fired off an email declaring federal, New York and New Jersey laws were broken.
“I pray that no life has been lost,” read PA Executive Director Patrick Foye’s page-long Sept. 13 rant about the so-called “TL-24” test. “I will get to the bottom of this abusive decision which violates everything this agency stands for,” Foye vowed. “I intend to learn how PA process was wrongfully subverted and the public interest damaged, to say nothing of the credibility of this agency.”
The 2,300 pages of emails provided other insights to the scandal that threatens Christie’s White House hopes in 2016:
l Wildstein forwarded an Oct. 1 email about a Wall Street Journal article on the scandal to Christie’s chief spokesman, Michael Drewniak.
PA supervisor of planning and operations Gerry Quelch raised a red flag three days prior to the test: “It seems like we are punishing all for the sake of a few. Very confused.”
l Wildstein wrote of his intentions to visit the bridge on Sept. 9 to enjoy the political payback first-hand. Satisfied, he left around 8:30 a.m.
Agency officials stonewalled for weeks as reporters pressed for details in the Bridgegate scandal — only to receive no reply.
(Officials) had difficulty responding to: a missing child and a cardiac arrest ... If there is anything you need me to do, let me know.
– Tina Lado of PA
l Wildstein, a high school classmate of Christie, said yes when asked if the plan under the mounting pressure was “to hunker down and grit our way through it.”
A Port Authority spokesman declined comment Friday, and Christie’s office did not issue a statement. The gover- nor kept a low profile two days after the first damning emails were released.
The emails also contained mention of another Christie nominee at the agency: PA Chairman David Samson.
Baroni, after getting Foye’s fiery Sept. 13 email, reached out to Samson: “General, can I call you on this now?” There was no indication of his response. Samson was implicated
in a Sept. 13 email from Wildstein, who said Christie’s handpicked guy was “helping us to retaliate” when the lane closings were finally reversed.
Samson issued a statement earlier in the week denying any knowledge of the shutdown.
The massive document dump came from New Jersey state legislators investigating the lane closings that paralyzed traffic in and around the west side of the bridge. The U.S. attorney in Newark
is investigating the scandal, along with the New Jersey state legislature and the PA.
The angry complaints continued on day two of the “test,” with the PA’s general manager at the bridge reiterating the disgust of Fort Lee officials.
“I had an unpleasant interaction with the Fort Lee police chief and asst chief about congesting the borough, and preventing the smooth flow of emergency vehicles,” said an email from Bob Durando.
“Their characterization was that the ‘test’ was a monumental
failure. Fort Lee is not happy.”
Christie apologized repeatedly Thursday for the gridlock, and fired Bridget Anne Kelly, one of his top aides implicated in the
This hasty & ill-advised decision violates laws …I pray that no life has been lost.
scandal by her own email.
The governor also dumped adviser Bill Stepien, his former campaign manager. He later traveled to Fort Lee to apologize to Mayor Mark Sokolich.
Repeated emails show Baroni ordered PA public relations workers to ignore media inquiries about the growing scandal.
Another email hinted that Baroni, the PA deputy director with an annual $289,667 salary, wanted a coverup of the political payback.
“Bill, we are going to fix this fiasco,” wrote Foye on Sept. 13.
“I am on my way to office to discuss,” shot back Baroni. “There canbe no public discourse.”
Baroni, in another email, actually accused Foye of leaking details about the lane closings to the Wall Street Journal.
And Wildstein, in an email to Baroni as the media attention heated up in September, crudely dismissed an inquiry from a reporter.
“I call bulls--- on this,” he wrote.
Scott Rechler, vice chairman of the Port Authority Board of Commissioners and New York Gov. Cuomo’s top appointee, blasted the mess in a previously unseen email.
“This is terribly disturbing and incomprehensible to me. How can a decision like this be made without it being discussed and considered at the highest level?
“I am particularly disturbed that this was occurring without regard to this being the Jewish high holiday weekend. Pat, please let us know what happened.”