Defendant testifies in bridge case

NEWARK, N.J. — Top officials in New Jersey government and the authority that runs the George Washington Bridge knew about or had a hand in what prosecutors contend was a false narrative that a lane realignment in 2013 was part of a traffic study rather than a scheme to punish a mayor, a defendant in the case testified Monday.

In his first public comments about the scandal since his indictment nearly 18 months ago, former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey executive Bill Baroni also contradicted the prosecution’s star witness by offering a third version of when, and how much, Republican Gov. Christie learned about the lane realignment and subsequent gridlock in Fort Lee, the town adjacent to the bridge.

Prosecutors say the lane closings created traffic jams intended to punish Mark Sokolich, the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, for not endorsing Christie’s re-election.

Baroni and former Christie Deputy Chief of Ctaff Bridget Kelly are charged with misusing Port Authority property, fraud and civil rights offenses.

Prosecutors focused last week on Baroni’s testimony to a state legislative committee in 2013 in which he said the gridlock was caused by a poorly communicated traffic study that sought to gauge the effect of freeing up two tollbooth lanes.

Materials provided to him by Port Authority staffers “absolutely reinforced” his belief that it had been a legitimate traffic study, Baroni testified.