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Bridgegate Mastermind Avoids Jail Time

July 12, 2017 at 12:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“David Wildstein, the professed mastermind of the so-called Bridgegate scandal, was spared a prison term during his sentencing for his role in the closing of lanes near the George Washington Bridge as political revenge against a New Jersey mayor, ending one of the final chapters in a bizarre political scandal that grounded the national political ambitions of Gov. Chris Christie,” the New York Times reports.

“Though Mr. Christie was never implicated in the scandal, nor was any documentary evidence ever produced directly tying him to knowledge of the scheme, Mr. Wildstein remained adamant in his testimony that Mr. Christie knew about the plan.”

Filed Under: State House Tagged With: David Wildstein

Quote of the Day

November 28, 2016 at 7:33 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you and wishing the best. For what it’s worth, I thought the move you pulled was kind of badass.”

— Jared Kushner, in a 2013 email to David Wildstein obtained by the Washington Post, amid growing evidence that Wildstein had ordered the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge to payback Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) political enemies.

Filed Under: Dirty Tricks Tagged With: David Wildstein, Jared Kushner

Indictments Coming After Guilty Plea in Bridge Scandal

May 1, 2015 at 7:40 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

As former Chris Christie ally David Wildstein pleads guilty today in the George Washington Bridge closures, the New York Times reports the U.S. Attorney “is expected to announce other indictments in the case, but it was not clear who would be among those indictments.”

“The exact charges Mr. Wildstein would plead guilty to were not immediately clear. Typically, he would appear in court to answer a series of questions confirming the details he was acknowledging in his plea. That plea will be heavily watched for what Mr. Wildstein indicates about what role – if any — Mr. Christie had in the lane closings, which gridlocked the town of Fort Lee, N.J., over four days, stranding emergency vehicles, commuters and school buses.”

Filed Under: State House Tagged With: Chris Christie, David Wildstein


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Ex-Christie Aide Will Plead Guilty in Bridge Scandal

April 29, 2015 at 3:46 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 14 Comments

David Wildstein, “a former ally of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) who ordered intentional traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge, is scheduled to plead guilty to criminal charges on Thursday,” Bloomberg reports.

“Wildstein is set to appear in federal court in Newark, where grand jurors have heard testimony in secret for months about gridlock over four mornings in Fort Lee, New Jersey, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the matter isn’t public. He would plead guilty to a charging document known as a criminal information, the person said. It was unclear what the specific charges would be.”

Filed Under: State House Tagged With: Chris Christie, David Wildstein

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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