PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Bridget Anne Kelly, Former Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Chris Christie, on Randy Mastro's Nomination
8:57:01
·
4 min
Bridget Anne Kelly, former Deputy Chief of Staff to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, testifies against Randy Mastro's nomination as Corporation Counsel for New York City. She criticizes Mastro's role in the Bridgegate scandal, accusing him of sexism, unethical behavior, and damaging her career and reputation through his investigation and report.
- Kelly describes Mastro as a "cunning and ruthless politician" who will do anything for his principals, including threatening or scapegoating others.
- She warns that confirming Mastro would send a negative message to women who have been scapegoated to protect powerful men.
- Kelly urges the committee to oppose Mastro's nomination to help restore trust in government and end divisive political tactics.
Bridget Anne Kelly
8:57:01
I appreciate that my name is Bridget Anne Kelly, and I am a victim of Randy Mastro's sexism attacks in New Jersey.
8:57:10
Distinguished members of the Rules Committee.
8:57:12
Good evening.
8:57:12
Thank you for hearing my testimony today regarding Randy Mastro's nomination.
8:57:17
I am not a resident of your city, but I am your neighbor and I visit often.
8:57:21
I am proud of my 20 years working hand in hand with New York City during my time in New New Jersey state government.
8:57:28
I'm also someone that lost that career in government in large part due to the underhanded and unethical actions of Randy Mastro.
8:57:36
As you heard today, Randy Mastro was hired by Governor Chris Christie to the tune of more than $9,000,000 to manufacture what has become the known as the Mastro report that lied about me.
8:57:47
Slut shamed me, scapegoated me, and I eventually took the fall for what is known as Bridgegate.
8:57:54
In listening to Mister Mastro's opening statement and hours of chatter of self serving adjectives, I wanted to make sure I added one of my own to describe him, sexist.
8:58:03
Council member, Farius, thank you for raising the issue of the irresponsible work product of this witness in the Bridgegate matter.
8:58:12
To correct his testimony, I was the deputy chief of staff to the governor of New Jersey, not the mayor.
8:58:18
And, yes, Mister Mastro and his whitewash report was chastised by a federal judge in New Jersey.
8:58:23
And Mister Mastro's response was that she had not been an investigator.
8:58:27
She was just a civil attorney before sitting on the bench.
8:58:31
I think that was downplaying judge judge Wingington's role prior to being nominated to the bench, and that's another Randy Mastro tactic, sexism at its best.
8:58:41
Mister Mastro stated that he conducted his Bridgegate investigation just like the FBI.
8:58:46
You, Mister Mastro, are not the FBI.
8:58:48
And with the FBI, I got to see their three o twos.
8:58:51
You are accountable to the taxpayers of New Jersey to retain your notes, and as you say, perform standard or best practices.
8:58:59
You did not.
8:59:00
Your investigation led to the dis destruction of not only my career, but my reputation.
8:59:08
And today, you were given the opportunity to express regret.
8:59:13
And he's not even in the room?
8:59:15
For the depiction of my character and my reputation.
8:59:20
You chose to be silent, and that silence is deafening to me.
8:59:25
My 4 children and to the city of New York.
8:59:29
What is shame?
8:59:32
Randy Mastro was a cunning and ruthless politician and political operative who happens to be an attorney.
8:59:39
When would somebody hire Randy Mastro?
8:59:41
Perhaps you hire him when you need to threaten or scare someone or when you need to take someone down for your own political security or when you need a scapegoat to get you out of trouble.
8:59:51
He's really good at what he does.
8:59:53
He'll do whatever he needs to and goes after anyone that's stands in the way of his principal at whatever cost.
9:00:00
In my case, it was governor Chris Christie.
9:00:02
Someone needed to get have him take the fall take take the fall for him.
9:00:07
Randy Mastro Lombardo something that both Democrats and Republicans need to rid from our system.
9:00:13
He will try to embarrass us all, including the members of this committee and the city council, and that is guaranteed if any of you stand in his way.
9:00:22
Confirming Randy Master to service corporation counsel to the city of New York will send a very strong and direct message to every woman who has ever been scapegoated or slut ashamed to protect a man in power, and unfortunately, there are far too many of us to whom that resonates.
9:00:41
And while many citizens of the city of New York will not follow this appointment process or understand the work of the corporation council, It will wreak of the same old, same old.
9:00:51
And I know you were all smart enough to know that things like that are why people lose faith in our government.
9:00:57
At some point, this division that we have in politics, this sort of win it all cost mentality must end We interact as enemies at the expense of others, and the common goal of a better and honest system is lost.
9:01:11
Good people don't wanna run for office, much less work in government anymore.
9:01:16
This distrust is destroying the core of our democracy.
9:01:20
Members of this committee, I am respectfully asking and strongly suggesting that you take a step to end that distrust and send the right message to the people of the city of the New York and to your neighbors in New Jersey by opposing the nomination of Randy Mastro's Corporation Council, and to be clear, and to use Mister Mastro's words before he does, my testimony is not an unfair characterization.
9:01:45
Thank you.