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Christie aide charged in Bridgegate not 'a decision-maker,' witness says

NEWARK, N.J. - In 2013, staffers in the Christie administration tried to build camaraderie with new interns by holding a baking contest.

Chris Christie, his chief of staff and his chief counsel "all freaked" when a Krispy Kreme doughnut box labeled "Christie Creme" by an intern as part of a team-building exercise ended up in the Star-Ledger newspaper.
Chris Christie, his chief of staff and his chief counsel "all freaked" when a Krispy Kreme doughnut box labeled "Christie Creme" by an intern as part of a team-building exercise ended up in the Star-Ledger newspaper.Read moreMEL EVANS/ AP File Photo

NEWARK, N.J. - In 2013, staffers in the Christie administration tried to build camaraderie with new interns by holding a baking contest.

One intern brought in a Krispy Kreme doughnut box she labeled "Christie Creme" with a display that read, "Serving New Jersey Since 2010" and "Expanding Nationwide in 2016!"

When a photo of the box turned up on social media and was picked up by a newspaper that June, Gov. Christie, his chief of staff, and his chief counsel "all freaked" on Bridget Anne Kelly, his deputy chief of staff who oversaw the office that held the contest, according to testimony Friday in federal court here.

"They were upset with her," Christina Renna, who as director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) reported to Kelly, told jurors under cross-examination from Kelly's attorney, Michael Critchley Sr.

The implication seemed to be that Kelly, who is charged in the George Washington Bridge lane-closure case, knew that Christie and his top aides reacted to negative news coverage about even minor and relatively silly controversies with a vengeance.

Critchley has argued that Kelly was a "scheduler," an insignificant player in Christie's political world, who was manipulated by a former Port Authority official, David Wildstein. Thus, a person in Kelly's job would not dare to order a Port Authority official to close lanes at the bridge in order to punish a mayor without Christie's approval.

On Friday, Renna confirmed that image of Kelly for the jury.

"I didn't feel as though she was a decision-maker," Renna testified.

According to prosecutors, Kelly and Bill Baroni, Christie's former top executive appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, conspired with Wildstein to cause traffic jams in September 2013 to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for his refusal to endorse the governor's reelection campaign that year.

Kelly and Baroni are charged with conspiracy and misuse of Port Authority resources, among other counts. Wildstein pleaded guilty last year and testified for eight days in this trial.

Although Renna appeared to help Kelly in some ways, she also testified that in December 2013, Kelly instructed her to delete a potentially incriminating email about the lane closures.

On the fourth day of the lane closures, Renna informed Kelly that Sokolich had called a staffer in the governor's office to complain about public safety concerns and share his suspicion that the gridlock served as "government retribution."

"Good," Kelly replied.

After Christie's chief of staff, Kevin O'Dowd, grilled Kelly in December about her knowledge of the lane closures, she called Renna and told her to delete the email, according to Renna.

Renna did delete the email, but not before preserving it by forwarding to another account.

Critchley sought to discredit Renna's reliability, showing jurors scores of text messages that appeared to show her plotting to overthrow Kelly.

"You and Pete Sheridan were coming up with a plan to sabotage her?" Critchley asked, referring to another IGA staffer.

"Yes, we discussed that," Renna said.

As Kelly prepared to become deputy chief of staff in the spring of 2013, Renna feared her boss would not promote her, she testified.

"My strategy has to be firming up support from regionals and Rebecca and getting them to turn on" Kelly and another staffer, Sheridan texted Renna.

After a few more exchanges, she replied, "Yes, I like this approach."

Critchley asked Renna if she was trying to "sabotage" Kelly.

"Turn their backs," Renna said.

Renna testified she had deleted these texts and others, saying her phone was dysfunctional and could not receive incoming texts from certain individuals.

When the bridge scandal erupted in January 2014, Kelly and Renna spoke again.

Critchley recounted a conversation the following day between Renna and Kelly in which Kelly told her on the phone that "you can't trust anyone."

"The last words she said to you were, 'Christina, you can't trust anyone. You can't trust anyone,' " Critchley said.

"Correct," Renna said.

"People are lying about her?" Critchley said.

"I don't know," she told jurors.

aseidman@phillynews.com

856-779-3846 @AndrewSeidman