Christie ally expected to plead guilty in Bridgegate case

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie may be eyeing a run for the Republican presidential ticket, but critics say his stance on immigration and gun control will hold him back.
(Image credit: Robert Sciarrino/Star Ledger/Corbis)

David Wildstein, a childhood friend of Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) and a former top official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is going to plead guilty on Friday to unspecified charges related to Bridgegate, the politically motivated closure of three lanes onto the George Washington Bridge and subsequent coverup in 2013, The New York Times reports, citing "people familiar with the case." The U.S. Attorney leading the investigation, Paul Fishman, has scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m., after a court hearing.

Fishman is also expected to announce other Bridgegate-related indictments. Wildstein has said that he discussed the bridge closures with Christie while they were ongoing, allegations that helped start Christie's declining national political fortunes.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.