Bill Baroni and Bridget Kelly, two former members of the Christie administration, were found guilty on all counts for their roles in the Bridgegate scandal.
Baroni, a Christie appointee to the Port Authority, and Kelly, Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, were charged on Friday with nine counts of conspiracy and wire fraud for their roles in the 2013 scheme to create gridlock traffic on the George Washington Bridge as political retaliation against the mayor of Fort Lee, who chose not to endorse Gov. Chris Christie for re-election.
Baroni and Kelly now face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to NJ.com, although federal guidelines suggest they will serve less time. A sentencing date has been set for Feb. 21.
Lawyers for both defendants told reporters they plan to file an appeal. As Baroni was leaving the courthouse, he thanked his family and friends for support and maintained his innocence.
“I am innocent of these charges, and I am very, very looking forward to an appeal,” he said.
Baroni is a Hamilton native, graduating from Reynolds Middle School and Steinert High School. He was a member of the Hamilton Planning Board before being elected to the New Jersey Assembly in 2003.
In 2007, the Republican was elected to State Senate where he served the 14th Legislative District until Christie appointed him to the position of deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York. In January of 2014, Baroni was named as a defendant in a federal class action lawsuit over the lane closures.
