The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case brought by a former aide to ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who is appealing her conviction in the Bridgegate scandal.
The case concerns Bridget Anne Kelly, who was convicted of misusing Port Authority resources to close several lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge, causing severe traffic issues as an act of political retribution.
Kelly, who had served as Christie’s deputy chief of staff, was set to report for her sentence in July.
She was found guilty in 2016 for her role in the plot that prosecutors said was an effort to punish Mark Sokolich, the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, for not endorsing Christie’s 2013 reelection bid. She faced seven counts of various charges including conspiracy, fraud and civil rights deprivation.
Emails and text messages released in January 2014 formed the basis of the charges, including one email in which Kelly told former Port Authority official David Wildstein: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”
Kelly later said her messages contained “sarcasm and humor.”
In 2017, Kelly was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but she appealed her conviction. The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit last year upheld five of seven convictions in the case leading to a lesser sentence for Kelly.
She was sentenced in April to 13 months in prison. Following her sentencing, Kelly said outside the courtroom, “Mr. Christie, you are a bully and the days of you calling me a liar and destroying my life are over.”
Christie has not faced charges in the matter and has denied any wrongdoing, claiming he had no knowledge of the lane closures.
