The "investigation" of Bridgegate by New Jersey Gov. Chris "Krispykreme" Christie's own lawyer unsurprisingly found him innocent -- after all, the key players in the scandal weren't even interviewed. Nonetheless, it may cause continuing problems for the rotund Governor: it dredges up personal, gratuitous information on a relationship between former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget "Bridge It" Kelly and former campaign manager Bill Stepien (two of the key players not interviewed). It's clear that Krispykreme's allies want to damage the reputations of the people who are in the best position to know what his involvement was -- not only on the GW bridge closure, but on misappropriation of Hurricane Sandy funds and political extortion.
So, how would you feel if you were one of Christie's sacrificial lambs - more or less likely to cooperate with the State's and U.S. Attorney's investigations?
UPDATE: Krispykreme pal and Chairman of the Port Authority David Samson has resigned from his position. Samson is believed to be a key figure in the Bridgegate scandal, who thus far has escaped any real scrutiny.
UPDATE II: How was the presser Krispykreme mouthpiece and "report" author Randy "Maestro" Mastro received (in which he smeared former Krispykreme aide Bridget Kelly)? Ouch:
You know that you've failed when a Republican like Joseph Scarborough, host of the MSNBC show Morning Joe, says on his program that Randy Mastro, the so-called "independent" lawyer investigating Gov. Christie's bridge-closing scandal, sounded like Baghdad Bob at his press conference Thursday, and the political writer, Al Hunt -- also on the show -- said Mastro could have served as "Putin's lawyer."
What will Christie do for his follow-up? One thing is for clear -- the woman in the George Washington Bridge scandal, Bridget Kelly, the sender of the traffic tie-up demand, is now in the crosshairs of the Mastro-led counterattack.
Mastro's report, indeed, made a point of informing the public that Kelly had had an affair with another figure in the imbroglio, and suggested that this tryst, where Kelly was supposedly jilted, may have led her to send the incriminating email about shutting down the traffic lanes in Fort Lee. Not that that makes any sense. However, it looks like Mastro (on behalf of Christie) is going to make Kelly the "fall-guy" for the transgressive acts attributed to the Christie Administration.
In the meantime, Kelly answered Mastro on Friday by having her lawyer issue a statement that she is ready to tell the truth about who was behind the bridge closing -- if she can get immunity from prosecution. (our emphasis)Now let's see if either or both Kelly and Stepien cut a deal that allows the prosecutors to deep-fry Krispykreme. Well played, Maestro!
(cartoon: Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via Gocomics.com)
