"In modern times, no sitting governor of New Jersey has ever been impeached or charged with a crime," said Brigid Callahan Harrison, a professor of political science and law at New Jersey's Montclair State University. Chris Christie's office were found guilty on all charges Friday in connection with the closure of lanes in 2013 on the George Washington Bridge in an act of alleged political retribution, the fallout for which has come to be known as Bridgegate. No believable evidence was presented to contradict that fact.”

Mr. Fishman, who succeeded Mr. Christie as the United States attorney for New Jersey, declined to specifically address the governor’s comments but pointedly expressed confidence in Mr. Wildstein’s testimony that the governor had been told about the plot. Though Christie has said he plans to retire from public life at the end of his term, a victory by Republican Donald Trump in the presidential election could breathe new life into the governor's political career. “Let me be clear once again, I had no knowledge prior to or during these lane realignments, and had no role in authorizing them,” Christie said in a statement following the verdict. In the complaint, Bill Brennan accused the governor of official misconduct, saying Christie "knowingly refrained from ordering that his subordinates take all necessary action to re-open local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, New Jersey, that had been closed with purpose to injure Fort Lee mayor Mark Sokolich." Wildstein, for example, said that Christie was told about the traffic jam as it was happening and that he laughed and sarcastically joked that nothing political was going on when he learned of Sokolich’s distress over not getting his calls returned. Testimony at the trial, including from Kelly and Baroni, both of whom took the stand in their defense, laid bare how the Christie administration used the Port Authority to help officials who backed the governor and to hurt those who did not. One of the most damning pieces of evidence was an email in which Kelly wrote: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” Then, as the four days of gridlock unfolded and Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich complained about children unable to get to school, she texted: “Is it wrong that I am smiling?”

On the stand, Kelly explained that she was referring to what she thought was a traffic study and expressing satisfaction that it was going well.
Two former associates of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former deputy chief of staff Bridget Kelly and ex-Port Authority executive Bill Baroni, are found guilty on all seven counts by a federal jury from their roles in the so-called Bridgegate scandal that created crippling traffic near the George Washington Bridge in September 2013.