David Wildstein meets with feds on bridge scandal

Former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official David Wildstein, who resigned in the wake of the George Washington Bridge scandal, met with federal prosecutors last week, according to Main Justice.

Several people familiar with the investigation told the blog on legal issues that Wildstein was “camped at the U.S. Attorney’s office” in Newark for several days last week. 

Neither Wildstein nor a spokeswoman from U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s office confirmed the meetings to Main Justice.

Wildstein previously invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in testimony before a New Jersey state legislative committee as lawmakers opened up their investigation into the scandal.

{mosads}A report released two weeks ago from an internal inquiry exonerated New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), finding he didn’t know of the bridge’s lane closings last September in advance. 

Lawyers from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher who compiled the report failed to interview Wildstein and other influential players in the scandal. 

The report also indicated Wildstein had informed Christie’s press secretary that Wildstein told Christie about the lane closings while they were in place. 

The press secretary, Michael Drewniak, testified last week before nearly two-dozen people on a grand jury, which has been formally convened in the federal investigation.

Jurors are expected to meet for the next 18 months. They have the power to interview witnesses without lawyers being present, and they can indict or subpoena.

In addition to the federal investigation, the New Jersey Legislature is conducting its own probe of the scandal. 

Main Justice also reported Monday that Christie’s former chief counsel, Charlie McKenna, met secretly with federal investigators in mid-January just after the scandal began to surface.