Official testifies he was told closing bridge lanes was 'important to Trenton'

NEWARK - The executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told jurors Wednesday that when he ordered lanes to the George Washington Bridge reopened following days of traffic jams in 2013, Gov. Christie's office wanted them closed again.

Patrick Foye, an appointee of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, testified that Bill Baroni, Christie's top executive appointee at the agency, told Foye on Sept. 13, 2013, that "senior staff had been briefed on the matter and it was important to Trenton."

"I took that to be the governor's office," Foye testified in the trial of Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff.

The testimony, on the third day of trial, came two days after a federal prosecutor said Christie learned about the lane closures as they were underway, when he attended a Sept. 11 commemorative event in Manhattan.

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