New details of the Bridgegate scandal continue to unfold. Here are 6 new surprising revelations.
NEWARK -- Two years before the town of Fort Lee was engulfed in traffic gridlock for four straight days, former Port Authority executive David Wildstein was at the George Washington Bridge and noted that possibility of shutting down the local access lanes as a "potential leverage point."
That was just one of the insights Wildstein, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes for his role in the scheme and is the prosecution's star witness, pulled back the curtain on Monday in the ongoing Bridgegate scandal criminal trial.
This federal case charges two former associates of Christie, Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Bridget Anne Kelly, with devising a scheme to retaliate against Sokolich by blocking critical toll lanes at the George Washington Bridge to cause traffic headaches in Fort Lee.
Testimony draws more people into web
Here are seven revelations from Wildstein's latest testimony:
1. Stepien knew about the phony coverup
At the time of the lane closures, Bridget Anne Kelly headed Gov. Chris Christie administration's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Prior to Kelly taking the reins, IGA was headed by Bill Stepien, Christie's political guru who had just stepped down from the administration to serve as the governor's campaign chief.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Cortes pressed Wildstein on what Stepien knew then:
"I told Mr. Stepien that I had heard from Miss Kelly to close the Fort Lee lanes and that I was moving to do so," Wildstein testified.
"How did Mr. Stepien respond?" Cortes asked.
"Mr. Stepien asked about what story we were going to use," Wildstein responded, "And I explained to Mr. Stepien that I was going to create the cover of a traffic study."
2. Christie commissioner given heads up
Wildstein also testified he told Port Authority Commissioner William "Pat" Schuber, considered "a loyal member" of Christie's team and an appointee of the governor.
Days before the September 2013 incident, he recalled sitting down for breakfast with Schuber at the River Edge Diner, informing the former Bergen County executive that the direction regarding the lane closures had come from the governor's office, and told him specifically it was aimed at Sokolich.
Schuber denied he knew or that the conversation ever took place. But a day before the sit down, Wildstein memorialized the talking point in an email to Schuber.
David Wildstein, right, with his attorney Alan Zegas. Wildstein wrote: "Commissioner: Not sure if you are back yet and hope your trip was enjoyable. I'd like to set up a breakfast to talk about some proposed agenda items for the Security Committee meeting. Also, need to brief you on a local Fort Lee/GWB issue. -- David," according to the U.S. attorney's office court exhibit.
3. Fort Lee mayor courted early
Shortly after the Bridgegate scandal came into public view, Christie said Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich "was not on my radar screen," and insisted that he didn't know what Sokolich looked like and that he had never heard the mayor's name "until all this stuff happened."
However, according to Wildstein, Sokolich was very much on the radar of Christie's staff, not long after he first took office.
"In terms of the role the Port Authority would play in seeking Mayor Sokolich's endorsement, ... when did these efforts begin?" Cortes asked Wildstein.
"They began in 2010," Wildstein replied.
4. Complete shutdown
Wildstein originally sought to shut down all three of Fort Lee's local access lanes. However, he testified the decision to leave one toll lane open to reduce the risk of "sideswipe crashes."
5. Joe D gets some "bank funds"
Wildstein told jurors one tool the Port Authority had at its disposal to woo elected officials were "bank funds," which he described as "a pot of money that is established by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners for a specific purpose."
One recipient of such funds, which were discretionary to each state's governor, was Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, whose county received money for a park preservation project, Wildstein said.
"For what purpose?" Cortes asked.
"The purpose was to build on the relationship with the Essex County executive ... for the purpose of securing his endorsement in the future," Wildstein responded.
DiVincenzo ultimately endorsed Christie's re-election bid. He was one of the highest profile Democrats in the state to do so.
6. Baroni chose lane closure date to "maximize the impact"
According to Wildstein, it was Baroni's idea to close the access lanes during Fort Lee's first week of school. The two feared the end of August was not a good time because "a lot of people are away and there's not as many people on the road," Wildstein said.
"... Mr. Baroni asked me, 'When is the first day of school?'" Wildstein continued, adding, "I went online and looked."
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter.