Christie accused of revealing grand jury information, breaking law, report says

David Wildstein, the former Port Authority official at the center of the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal, is claiming Gov. Chris Christie broke a federal law by disclosing information pertaining to a grand jury proceeding, the New York Times reported Sunday.Wildstein’s claims come from a statement made in a civil case involving former Passaic County Sheriff Jerry Speziale, a Democrat who, instead of running for re-election in 2010, accepted a lucrative Port Authority position offered to him. Potentially confirming what Democrats speculated about at the time, Wildstein claims Christie ordered the Speziale hiring in order to open up the door for a Republican to take the well-funded Democrat’s former position.

In his statement, Wildstein also notes that Christie allegedly broke the law by disclosing that Arthur Cifelli, who had previously held the Port Authority position offered to Speziale, served as a witness in a grand jury proceeding during Christie’s tenure as U.S. attorney. Disclosing such information is a violation of federal law.

The matter is unrelated to the bridge scandal.

Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts denied any claims of wrongdoing by the governor.

“This is just the latest legal jockeying in yet another legal proceeding involving Mr. Wildstein, but one thing should be made clear: Anyone suggesting the governor disclosed grand jury information is either lying or mistaken,” Roberts told the Times.

Wildstein appeared in federal court last month to plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy and admitted to orchestrating the lane closures alongside former Christie staffer Bridget Kelly and former Port Authority official Bill Baroni. Both Kelly and Baroni also face federal charges related to the incident.

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