The head of the authority that runs the George Washington Bridge will ask for a review of testimony from the recently completed corruption trial in which a former authority executive was convicted of fraud and conspiracy.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman John Degnan told The Record he will ask the agency's commissioners to form a committee to review the testimony. The Port Authority's next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday.
Two defendants, including former Port Authority Executive Director Bill Baroni, were convicted on Nov. 4 of purposely causing traffic jams near the bridge in September 2013 as part of an alleged political revenge scheme against a mayor who didn't endorse Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Baroni was a top Christie appointee. Christie's former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, also was convicted. They have appealed their convictions.
A third person, former Port Authority official David Wildstein, pleaded guilty last year and testified against Baroni and Kelly. He was a political blogger and high school classmate of Christie's who was hired for a position created for him at the agency. Several authority officials testified Wildstein acted as Christie's enforcer.
Trial testimony described other potentially unethical behavior by authority officials that included the publication of a news release about the traffic jams that at least one official believed was false.
Wildstein's testimony depicted the Port Authority as a source of political favors used by Christie's office to try and gain political endorsements from Democratic mayors.
