After being grilled by prosecutors and defense attorneys, David Wildstein will take the stand again on Tuesday.
NEWARK -- The prosecution's star witness who's been the focus of the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal criminal trial for more than a week is set to take the stand again Tuesday.
David Wildstein, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes related to his role in the Bridgegate scandal and turned federal witness, returns to court where defense attorneys for his former friends will continue to offer fierce cross examination.
Wildstein spent all last week on the stand, detailing his role in the political revenge scheme and offering his first public comments on the scandal after a three-year silence.
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He's the government's chief witness in the trial of Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority, and Bridget Anne Kelly, a one-time aide to the governor, who are charged in a plot orchestrated by Wildstein in September 2013 shutting down several local toll lanes at the George Washington Bridge to deliberately back up traffic into Fort Lee.
Prosecutors have called the scheme one of political retribution, aimed at punishing the borough's Democratic mayor after he declined to endorse the Republican governor for re-election.
David Wildstein, former Port Authority executive and now key witness for the prosecution, testifies in federal court in Newark for the second day in the so-called Bridgegate trial. Late last week, defense attorneys grilled Wildstein Wildstein for three days. They repeatedly questioned whether he changed his stories about his involvement in the scandal as the federal investigation was underway -- including details of a meeting at which he claimed Gov. Chris Christie was first told of the scheme.
At the same time, defense attorneys suggested Wildstein added new details about the alleged conspiracy after prep sessions with the U.S. Attorney's office while the trial in federal court in Newark was already underway.
Wildstein had testified Baroni and Kelly plotted together to shut down local toll lanes of the George Washington Bridge to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich with massive traffic jams after his refusal to endorse the governor for re-election.
He accused them of having authorized him to proceed with the plan.
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Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter.