Charges are expected to be filed Friday against ex-Port Authority Executive David Wildstein, a former ally of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, in connection to the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal, also known as 'bridgegate,' the North Jersey Media Group reported.
Wildstein is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges for allegedly ordering the September 2013 access lane closures that caused severe traffic jams leading to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee. He is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Newark at 11 a.m. and a press conference on the case is scheduled for 1 p.m.
It was not immediately clear if charges will be filed against other Christie staffers for their alleged part in the scandal that erupted in early 2014, including the governor's deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly, who sent an email to Wildstein in August 2013 saying it was "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
At the center of the scandal's investigation was whether or not the lane closures were done to get back at Fort Lee's Democratic Mayor Mark Sokolich for not supporting the Republican governor's reelection.
Port Authority Deputy Director Bill Baroni, Wildstein's boss, testified the access lanes were closed as part of a traffic study, USA Today reported. But Patrick Foye, another authority executive appointed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, testified there was no study.
Governor Christie maintained he had no knowledge of and did not participate in the lane closures. But the investigation and controversy- including a suspicion the traffic jams caused a 91-year-old woman's death- marred his favoring for the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidency.
It still remains unclear if Christie will decide to run.
