A revealing text message exchange between New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's former campaign manager William Stepien and the governor's highest appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, William Baroni, was released in court yesterday. Bloomberg said the exchange, among many others in emails and texts were released by The New Jersey legislative committee lawyer Reid Schar alongside his written arguments about providing immunity from criminal prosecution for Stepien and another Christie aide, former deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly.
The committee, said Bloomberg, has been investigating the events and people responsible for the access lane closures at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey from September 9 to 12. The lane closures had cost massive traffic jams that called for investigations from lawmakers.
The releasing of the documents was spurred by a decision of a Trenton state court judge, who ordered Schar a chance to counter allegations by Stepien and Kelly's legal camps that the documents that have been subpoenaed for turnover could criminally implicate them. After the hearing, Kevin Marino, Stepien's lawyer, demanded that Schar release any communication from his clients that had not been made public.
In the exchange that happened November 26, Stepien texted Baroni, which read, "Hey, great job yesterday. I know it's not a fun topic, and not nearly as fun as beating up on Frank Lautenberg, but you did great, and I wanted to thank you."
Baroni replied to Stepien, which read, "Thanks William. Loretta and wis will keep their nonsense but at least we have explained the counter narrative."
Lautenberg is a staunch critic of Christie, who before his death on June 3 called out the New Jersey governor's cancellation of the Hudson River commuter tunnel project. State Senator Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who are both Democrats, co-chair the investigative committee of the bridge scandal, Bloomberg added.
