Unanimous Supreme Court throws out ‘Bridgegate’ convictions
FILE - This combination of March 29, 2017 file photos shows Bridget Kelly, left, and Bill Baroni leaving federal court after sentencing in Newark, N.J. The Supreme Court has thrown out the convictions of the two political insiders involved in New Jersey's "Bridgegate" scandal. The court says in a unanimous decision that the government had overreached in prosecuting Kelly and Baroni for their roles in a political payback scheme that created a massive traffic jam to punish a New Jersey mayor who refused to endorse the reelection of then-Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has thrown out the convictions of two political insiders involved in New Jersey’s “Bridgegate” scandal.
The court says in a unanimous decision that the government had overreached in prosecuting Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni for their roles in a political payback scheme that created days of traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge.
Their aim was to punish a New Jersey mayor who refused to endorse the reelection of then-Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican.
The justices say there was evidence of deception, corruption, and abuse of power in the political payback saga.
But the ruling says “not every corrupt act by state or local officials is a federal crime.”
