The latest development regarding the access lanes closures scandal involving Governor Chris Christie is beginning to heat up in court. Two of the New Jersey governor's former aides had invoked their constitutional right to silence after a subpoena issued by a court to produce related documents to the George Washington Bridge traffic jams, Bloomberg said.
Bridget Anne Kelly and William Stepien reasoned that should they release the documents a legislative committee investigating the lane closures, the papers will implicate them in a criminal investigation by US prosecutors.
However, the committee is not convinced about Kelly's and Stepien's defense. In the court papers filed yesterday, committee attorney Reid Schar argued, "Ms. Kelly is effectively contending that the Fifth Amendment shields every act of production. Ms. Kelly's overbroad and incorrect interpretation of the act of production privilege would all but eliminate the government's long-held subpoena power when conducting investigations."
Stepien's lawyer, Kevin Marino, argued for his client last week and said, "Compelling a testimonial act of production by a person in the throes of a criminal investigation -- and that, against all odds, is precisely where Mr. Stepien finds himself -- undoubtedly violates that person's right against self-incrimination."
Bloomberg said the committee has urged a Trenton, New Jersey judge that Kelly and Stepien is not covered by the Fifth Amendment. Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson will reportedly decide whether the two ex-aides should turn over the documents that would provide information about the individuals who had ordered the lane closures and why it was closed. Moreover, the news agency said that should the judge favor the committee, the revelations could hurt Christie's chances for a White House bid in the next two years.
Christie earlier said that he fired Kelly, who was his deputy chief of staff, and is no longer connected with Stepien, his campaign manager. The firing of the two aides followed their email and text exchanges pertaining to the lane closures, Bloomberg said.
