NEWARK -- Two former high-level members of the Christie administration were sentenced to prison terms Wednesday in the political scandal that became known as Bridgegate.

Bridget Anne Kelly, 44, a former top aide to the governor whose "time for some traffic problems" email became a focal point of the federal investigation, was given 18 months.

Bill Baroni, 45, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, received a 24 month sentence earlier in the day in a separate proceeding in the same courtroom before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark.

Both were also sentenced to 500 hours community service. They will remain free on bail while they appeal their convictions.

"This case was, and is, about the abuse of power," declared the judge during the day-long sentencing, speaking about what she saw as a "with us or against us" culture in Trenton.

"I do believe you got yourself caught up in a culture that lost its way," Wigenton told Kelly. "You used your position to exact political revenge."

Kelly and Baroni were convicted in November of fraud and conspiracy in connection with the scandal that cast a dark shadow over Gov. Chris Christie's administration and loomed large over his failed presidential bid.

The two were charged with helping orchestrate the deliberate shutdown of several local toll lanes at the George Washington Bridge, which is owned and operated by the Port Authority. The plan was aimed at causing massive traffic gridlock on surrounding streets, to punish Fort Lee's mayor for his refusal to endorse the Republican governor for re-election.

Banana republic dictator

"The use of government power at a publicly owned bridge to create traffic in town just to mess with one person," said assistant U.S. attorney Lee Cortes Jr. "Those are the actions out of the playbook of some dictator of a banana republic. It's incomprehensible such action could take place here in the United States."

In seeking a "meaningful" prison term for Kelly, prosecutors told the court she was no "low level" staff person at the governor's office.

"It was Bridget Kelly who was the impetus that was behind the crime to create traffic problems in Fort Lee" said assistant U.S. attorney Vikas Khanna, one of three prosecutors handing the case. "She green-lighted the idea. Without her approval, the lane reductions never would have occurred."

He told the judge that Kelly could have stopped the lane closures at any point.

"Her role was not tangential. She was a central player," he said.

As she stood for sentencing, Kelly, in black pants and top, held back tears as she asked the judge for leniency so she could "reconnect" with her four children. The single mother also offered an apology for her involvement in the lane closures.

Kelly in court during sentencing before Judge Susan Wigenton. (Jane Rosenberg | For NJ.com)

"I never intended to harm anyone. I am sorry if my actions in any way caused any harm," Kelly said.

She acknowledged her emails and texts, which included the "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" message that prosecutors said launched the lane shutdowns, were disrespectful.

"I am sorry and embarrassed for them," Kelly said.

Federal sentencing guidelines called for Baroni and Kelly to get between 37 and 46 months in federal prison for their crimes. But, the U.S. Attorney's office recommended in court Wednesday that Baroni get 24 to 30 months, and Kelly somewhat less.

The government argued that the two defendants "chose to ignore warnings" that what they were doing was a threat to the public.



"He was sending a message of punishment to Mayor (Mark) Sokolich and that was somehow more important than protecting the public safety," said assistant U.S. attorney Lee Cortes of Baroni.

Misleading the Legislature

Before sentencing him, the judge told Baroni he misled both a legislative committee and the jury when he claimed the bridge lane closures were part of a legitimate traffic study. "It was completely intended to wreak havoc," Wigenton said. "It only served a punitive purpose. You clearly knew, and know today, that it was not legitimate."

Baroni apologizes to his friends, family and the people of Fort Lee. (Jane Rosenberg | for NJ.com)

Addressing the court before sentence was handed down, Baroni apologized to his friends, his family and the people of Fort Lee affected by the closing of local lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge.

"I regret, more than anything, that I allowed myself to get caught up in this," Baroni said. "I was wrong. I am truly sorry. And I've waited three years to say that."

In a calm voice, Baroni, wearing his green Irish tie that he had on through most of the trial, told the judge he let a lot of people down who believed in him.

"Most importantly, I let Mark Sokolich down," said Baroni. "One day, I truly hope that Mark gives me the chance to apologize to him personally."

During the trial, the key witness for the prosecution was David Wildstein, a Republican operative and former Port Authority official who testified he was the one who came up with the lane closure idea as a point of leverage against Sokolich. He told jurors that both Baroni and Kelly helped him put it all into play.

Wildstein pleaded guilty and is still awaiting sentencing, also before Wigenton.

Christie has repeatedly said he did not know about the lane closures beforehand. He was never charged with any wrongdoing.

Kelly testified during the trial she told Christie in advance about the plan to close toll lanes at the George Washington Bridge in 2013, and had gotten his approval for what she thought was a legitimate traffic study.

At the start of her sentencing hearing, Kelly's lawyer questioned why Christie was never questioned about the bridge lane closures during the trial.

"Does anybody believe that Bridget Kelly had the authority to shut down the George Washington Bridge?" said attorney Michael Critchley.

During the trial, a jury of seven women and five men heard from 35 witnesses, including both defendants who took the stand and insisted they did nothing wrong.

Wildstein claimed he drafted a cover story to disguise the true purpose of the lane closures, helping write a bogus Port Authority press release to announce the lane shutdowns were part of a special traffic study looking into ways to reduce congestion on the main approach roads to the George Washington Bridge toll plaza.

Both Baroni and Kelly testified that they believed there actually was a traffic study. But the most damaging evidence against them might have been the now-infamous "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" email sent by Kelly to Wildstein less than a month before several local access toll lanes at the world's busiest bridge were inexplicably closed for nearly a week in September 2013. Prosecutors said the email represented a directive to implement the plan.

During his testimony, Baroni also was confronted over his failure to respond to a series of emails, texts and increasingly frantic phone calls from Sokolich, as the mayor tried to find someone in charge at the Port Authority to explain why the toll lanes had been shut down, blocking emergency vehicles, leaving school buses stranded and forcing thousands to be late for work.

After a seven-week trial, Baroni and Kelly were found guilty.

Appointed by Christie to the Port Authority in 2010, Baroni served as the agency's highest ranking New Jersey executive. Kelly, a divorced mother of four, ran the governor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Wildstein, who served as Kelly's day-to-day contact at the Port Authority, had a $150,000 patronage post with no job description, in a position created for him.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL.