PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Christopher Porrino, 60th Attorney General of New Jersey, on Randy Mastro's Bridgegate Investigation
10:33:47
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149 sec
Christopher Porrino, former Attorney General of New Jersey, testifies in support of Randy Mastro, focusing on Mastro's handling of the Bridgegate investigation. Porrino emphasizes the accuracy and impartiality of Mastro's report, which has been validated by subsequent investigations and legal decisions.
- Porrino hired Mastro to investigate Bridgegate in 2014 when Porrino was chief counsel to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
- He asserts that Mastro's report conclusions have stood the test of time, aligning with Department of Justice findings and a 2020 Supreme Court decision
- Porrino attempts to refute Bridget Kelly's earlier testimony, stating she didn't claim the report misstated facts
- The testimony is cut short by Council Member Diana Ayala, leading to a brief confrontation
Christopher Porrino
10:33:47
Good evening.
10:33:48
My name is Chris Perino.
10:33:50
I was the 60th attorney general of New Jersey.
10:33:53
Today, I'm chair of litigation department at Lowenstein Sandler, and I live here in New York City with my family.
10:33:59
I'm a political.
10:34:00
I'm not a republican.
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I'm not a Democrat.
10:34:03
I'm unaffiliated.
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I've represented the Democratic administration of New Jersey governor Phil Murphy.
10:34:11
I served in the Republican administration of New Jersey governor, Chris Christie.
10:34:17
And that's where I first met Randy Mastro.
10:34:20
It was 2014.
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I had only just started as chief counsel to the governor when the Bridgegate scan scandal broke in the media.
10:34:30
We hired Randy and his firm less than a week later on behalf of the office of the governor.
10:34:36
And as chief counsel to the governor, I was Randy's client.
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I asked Randy and his team to do a top to bottom in investigation regarding Bridgegate, to follow the facts and the law wherever they led, and to report on who was responsible.
10:34:55
And that's exactly what he did Randy and his team reached the conclusions that now, 10 years later, have stood the test of time.
10:35:07
Bridget Kelly, who was here earlier, her story is a tragic one.
10:35:13
But she was prosecuted by the Department of Justice, not by Randy Mastro.
10:35:18
Look at the report itself.
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I think it's pages 114 or 115 around there.
10:35:25
Take a look at it.
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It recites the facts.
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And the one thing I didn't hear miss Kelly say tonight was that the report misstated the facts.
10:35:36
The Department of Justice reached the same key factual conclusions as the Mastro team did And in 2020, the United States Supreme Court reached the same legal conclusions that Randy had reached 6 years earlier.
10:35:53
Now, miss Kelly didn't know a key fact when she presented to you this evening.
10:36:01
Randy Mastro made
Diana Ayala
10:36:03
You're out of time.
Christopher Porrino
10:36:04
I'm sorry.
10:36:05
I've been here for 10 hours.
Diana Ayala
10:36:06
You're still there.
Christopher Porrino
10:36:06
And I'm gonna finish my comments.
Diana Ayala
10:36:08
No.
10:36:08
You're not.
Christopher Porrino
10:36:09
Listen.
10:36:09
Sorry.
James Gennaro
10:36:10
I have watched.
Christopher Porrino
10:36:11
I have watched.
Diana Ayala
10:36:12
I have sit we've been we've also been sitting here for 10 hours, sir.
10:36:14
Thank you.
10:36:15
Next.