Q&A
Bridget Anne Kelly details the impact of Bridgegate and Randy Mastro's actions on her life and career
9:01:49
·
7 min
Bridget Anne Kelly provides a detailed and emotional account of how Bridgegate and Randy Mastro's actions have severely impacted her life and career. She describes the psychological trauma, legal battles, and professional consequences she has endured.
- Kelly reveals she is in severe PTSD therapy
- She criticizes Mastro's $9 million investigation and report, which she claims was sexist and damaging to her reputation
- Kelly discusses her legal ordeal, including indictment, conviction, and eventual exoneration by the U.S. Supreme Court
- She expresses frustration at being unable to find work in government despite her vindication
- Kelly criticizes Mastro's silence when given the opportunity to express regret for his depiction of her
Adrienne E. Adams
9:01:49
Thank you so much, miss Kelly, for being here.
UNKNOWN
9:01:51
Thank you.
Adrienne E. Adams
9:01:52
We certainly feel your your pain.
9:01:58
We watched your ordeal as I'm sure a lot of the nation watched your ordeal through Bridgegate, and your courage is admirable.
9:02:10
I just like for this panel and those who are still here in the chamber to know and hear from you specifically the impact of Bridgegate on your life then and where you are now in 2024.
Bridget Anne Kelly
9:02:28
Well, for the record, I'm in severe PTSD therapy.
9:02:33
I thought that at the time, the worst thing when this all unfolded in 2014, that the worst thing that was going to happen was a committee investigation, and I truly believed and was told to believe and assigned an attorney by the former governor that was gonna protect me.
9:02:55
That the worst was going to be a committee hearing.
9:02:57
And in as you all know, you have committee hearings to investigate and whatnot.
9:03:02
And then, you know, what happened was my attorney.
9:03:05
Once I downloaded to him, he dropped me.
9:03:08
Because I told him what I knew, and I wound up having to get one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the state, if not the country.
9:03:16
But funny thing was the committee here the committee hearing wasn't really going to be the worst thing.
9:03:23
There was the hiring of of Randy Mastro and his team of former US attorneys, some of which worked with Chris Christie, some of which who had fundraisers for Mister Christie when he was running for president, some of which whose children worked for me in the governor's office, He Mister Mastro, I mean, it was amazing.
9:03:41
He had a full investigation of all the things in Chris Christie's office done in, like, 6 weeks to the tune of $9,000,000.
9:03:50
And he solved the whole thing.
9:03:51
Solved the whole thing, gave the US attorney his little script, and then they went about it.
9:03:57
Prior to madam speaker, me too hadn't come to hadn't come to hadn't come to a head if we're gonna talk about things.
9:04:06
Me too was not something that people were talking about in 2014 yet.
9:04:10
It hadn't come to the forefront and hadn't come to be an issue whereby women were comfortable speaking out.
9:04:19
The master report came out.
9:04:21
I was at my attorney's office watching it.
9:04:23
Mister Mastro had, I think, a press conference that lasted about an hour a half, holding up his documentation, his however many page word report with all these interviews of people that were my friends.
9:04:37
And very interesting, my romantic life and my personal life became the subject of the master report and that I was an unstable I looked for approval from men for things.
9:04:50
I worked in government for 20 years for some pretty powerful men and women.
9:04:54
I had respect from both sides of the aisle, and I was damn good at what I did.
9:04:58
And so I didn't need any any approval from any man.
9:05:03
I joked with people that he gave Bill Steppian who, you know, apparently, I was so broken hearted.
9:05:07
I closed the George Washington Bridge when he broke my heart crazy.
9:05:12
He gave Bill Steppian much, too much credit.
9:05:14
I didn't close the lanes of the bridge.
9:05:16
The bridge was never closed, but we're not debating Bridgegate.
9:05:19
His personal attacks on my state of mind, on my work product, was all reliant on almost like office gossip or what do they call that?
9:05:30
Coffee around the water cooler chatter.
9:05:32
And he sat and his his team of attorneys interviewed people, but with no notes.
9:05:37
And they went back to their offices and wrote up their only little harlequin novel, but it's almost like they had a script.
9:05:43
And this came out and and madam speaker, I I was so floored and I was so hurt.
9:05:49
I have 2 daughters.
9:05:49
One is which with me today, Mary Kate, at the time they were much younger, they were 17 and and 7.
9:05:56
And the first person that came out to fight was the chair of the Joint Committee on Bridgegate, and it was Senator Loretta Weinberg who no longer is in the senate, but let me tell you something.
9:06:07
She told Randy Master where to go with that report.
9:06:11
And she said it was sexist.
9:06:12
She said it was slut shaming, and she was right.
9:06:15
But I have to tell you, at the time, things were just getting worse legally.
9:06:19
And it was almost like I had to put that behind me to deal with the fact that I was now going to be I was under federal investigation.
9:06:28
I was then indicted.
9:06:30
I was then went to trial.
9:06:32
I was then convicted on nine counts.
9:06:35
2 of which were thrown out, sentenced to prison twice, once for 18 months, once for 13 months, and then the United Supreme Court took my case.
9:06:46
And they get 10,000 requests a year, and they take 75 cases.
9:06:50
I was 9 days away from leaving for prison.
9:06:53
9, leaving my kids, my ex husband was moving in, my girlfriends had packed me all up, and I was going to West Virginia.
9:07:01
So talking to your kids about going to prison for something you didn't do, That's someone.
9:07:09
It was really hard.
9:07:10
And so fighting that battle for a good 7 years, I knew my reputation was such was so tarnished.
9:07:19
But then I win at the highest level.
9:07:23
The highest level.
9:07:24
I went to the United States Supreme Court, and my case was and he touted it today unanimously overturned like he played a partner.
9:07:33
Do you know I can't get a job in government?
9:07:36
Nobody will talk to me.
9:07:38
I worked in government for 20 years.
9:07:40
It's the only job I ever had, and I loved it.
9:07:45
And I miss it every day.
9:07:47
I walk into the chambers, and I'm like, nerd.
9:07:49
I'm so excited to be here, but for the worst reasons.
9:07:53
So I lost my career.
9:07:56
My kids lost a part of their mom.
9:07:58
It's helped my kids something that I, you know, they always say, what doesn't kill you?
9:08:03
Make you stronger.
9:08:04
I joked with the kids.
9:08:05
It was a good college essay subject, but it's not funny.
9:08:08
It's my life, and it's their life.
9:08:12
So he had an opportunity today when Councilman Farris asked if he regretted his depiction of me.
9:08:19
He has a daughter and a wife sitting here and he was silent.
9:08:23
And I would tell you right now, I am so impressed that you have a majority of women on your council that speaks volumes.
9:08:30
I don't care if you're democrat or republican.
9:08:33
The issue is women.
9:08:35
The issue is being treated differently, and the issue is decency.
9:08:39
And I I'm sorry.
9:08:41
That's loud.
9:08:43
I have so many trust issues.
9:08:44
I have so many, and I'm airing my dirty laundry, but it's really true.
9:08:49
The trauma from this has almost killed me.
9:08:53
And he kicked it off, and he supported it.
9:08:57
And he could have said something today, not that it would have made it better, but just shows maybe some of you that he is a soul.
9:09:05
But I'm not sure he does.
UNKNOWN
9:09:08
Thank you very much, miss Kelly.
9:09:09
Thank you