Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/18-1059_e2p3.pdf
Page Number: 5.0

Cite as:  590 U. S. ____ (2020) 

3 

Opinion of the Court 

worked at or with the Port Authority and had political ties 
to  New  Jersey’s  then-Governor  Chris  Christie.    The  Port 
Authority is a bi-state agency  that manages  bridges, tun-
nels,  airports,  and  other  transportation  facilities  in  New
York and New Jersey.  At the time relevant here, William 
Baroni was its Deputy Executive Director, an appointee of 
Governor Christie and the highest ranking New Jersey of-
ficial in the agency.  Together with the Executive Director
(a New York appointee), he oversaw “all aspects of the Port 
Authority’s  business,”  including  operation  of  the  George
Washington Bridge.  App. 21 (indictment).  David Wildstein 
(who became the Government’s star witness) functioned as
Baroni’s chief of staff.  And Bridget Anne Kelly was a Dep-
uty Chief of Staff to Governor Christie with special respon-
sibility for managing his relations with local officials.  She 
often  worked  hand-in-hand  with  Baroni  and  Wildstein  to 
deploy  the  Port  Authority’s  resources  in  ways  that  would 
encourage  mayors  and  other  local  figures  to  support  the 
Governor. 

The  fateful  lane  change  arose  out  of  one  mayor’s  re-
sistance to such blandishments.  In 2013, Governor Christie 
was up for reelection, and he wanted to notch a large, bi-
partisan  victory  as  he  ramped  up  for  a  presidential  cam-
paign.  On  his  behalf,  Kelly  avidly  courted  Democratic 
mayors  for  their  endorsements—among  them,  Mark 
Sokolich of Fort Lee.  As a result, that town received some 
valuable benefits from the Port Authority, including an ex-
pensive  shuttle-bus  service.  But  that  summer,  Mayor 
Sokolich informed Kelly’s office that he would not back the 
Governor’s  campaign.    A  frustrated  Kelly  reached  out  to
Wildstein for ideas on how to respond.  He suggested that
getting rid of the dedicated Fort Lee lanes on the Bridge’s 
toll plaza would cause rush-hour traffic to back up onto lo-
cal  streets, leading  to gridlock  there.    Kelly agreed  to  the
idea in an admirably concise e-mail: “Time for some traffic
problems in Fort Lee.”  App. 917 (trial exhibit).  In a later