Here are 5 new Bridgegate details we learned from the first day of jury trial on Monday.
NEWARK -- In the biggest New Jersey corruption scandal in recent memory, federal prosecutors began their case Monday describing the traffic chaos in Fort Lee when two former members of Gov. Chris Christie's inner circle allegedly shut down several toll lanes at the George Washington Bridge for four days in an act of retribution.
It was the first day of a criminal trial against for Christie deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, and the governor's top appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Here are five of the new things we learned from Monday's opening arguments:
1. Christie was told
In the early days of the fallout from the Bridgegate scandal, David Wildstein, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes related to his role in the political payback scheme and turned federal witness, signaled through his attorney that "evidence exists" that Christie knew of the scheme.
But on Monday, prosecutors offered more.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said Wildstein will testify that he and defendant Baroni made Christie aware of the plan while they were attending Sept. 11 commemorations in Manhattan.
"The evidence will show that Baroni and Wildstein were so committed to their plan to punish (Fort Lee) Mayor (Mark) Sokolich that during those precious few minutes that they had alone with the governor, they bragged about the fact that there were traffic problems in Fort Lee and that Mayor Sokolich was not getting his calls returned," Khanna said.
2. Baroni was an FBI informant
Baroni's attorney, Michael Baldasarre, revealed during the trial that the former Republican state lawmaker was an FBI informant between 2006 and 2010. In essence, Baroni was an informant at the same time Christie served as U.S. attorney in New Jersey.
"The FBI wanted Bill, between 2006 and 2010, for leads on investigations that they were working on and for new investigations," Baldasarre said.
"They wanted him to corroborate things that they had discovered and they wanted background on lobbyists and their interplay with legislators," he told jurors. "That started in 2006 and went to 2010. Toward the end of that period, the FBI concluded that Bill had contributed significantly to the FBI's Newark division. He had helped them bring one or two cases."
3. Christie admin really didn't like Tom Moran
Some people in Christie's administration were not fans of The Star-Ledger editorial writer Tom Moran.
On Monday, Critchley added additional evidence of just how much they disliked Moran.
Kelly's attorney, Michael Critchley, told jurors about an email Michael Drewniak, Christie's former spokesman, shared with Wildstein:
"I really hate that f----r," Drewniak wrote. "(I) want to beat him with a lead pipe. That would put everyone on notice."
4. Wildstein lied on job application
Much of Baroni and Kelly's defense signaled Monday they planned to undermine the character of prosecutors' star witness: Wildstein.
One way they attempted to do so, besides Baroni's lawyer describing Wildstein's coworkers who referred to him as "a miserable prick" and "an asshole," was to show that lies.
In his application to work at the Port Authority, Wildstein indicated he had a degree from George Washington University.
From Baldasarre: "So let's talk about David Wildstein's double life at the Port Authority. Shocking as it may seem, the evidence is going to show his entry in the Port Authority started on a lie. His job application says: 'I have a degree from George Washington University.' He doesn't. That simple. He doesn't."
5. Presidential politics at play
Not only will defense attorneys put Wildstein's character into question, they'll also likely use Christie's political ambitions to help explain some of the fallout.
Kelly's attorney claimed his client was thrown "under the presidential bus" when she took the fall and was charged by federal prosecutors.
"It's about a presidential campaign," Critchley said.
He asked jurors to remember back in 2013 when Christie, who just sailed to re-election, was widely acknowledged as the Republican Party's frontrunner in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Kelly shouldn't be elevated to "some grandiose position," Critchley said, noting she only held the deputy chief of staff title for three months.
Rather, Wildstein wanted to "shine in Chris Christie's eyes" as the governor readied for a nationwide campaign, Critchley argued.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.