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Two people central to the George Washington Bridge lane closings, David Wildstein and Bridget Anne Kelly, joked in messages about causing traffic problems for prominent New Jersey Rabbi Mendy Carlebach.

(Star-Ledger file photo)

By Susan K. Livio and Christopher Baxter/The Star-Ledger

TRENTON — Newly uncensored records released today by the legislative panel investigating the George Washington Bridge lane closings show David Wildstein and Bridget Anne Kelly, two people at the center of the scandal, joked about causing traffic problems for a prominent New Jersey rabbi.

On Aug. 19, six days after Kelly e-mailed Wildstein stating, "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," the pair exchanged texts about causing transit delays for Orthodox Rabbi Mendy Carlebach of the Chabad of North & South Brunswick, a chaplain for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department and a close ally of Gov. Chris Christie.

Wildstein, a top official at the Port Authority, sent Kelly, a deputy chief of staff in Christie's office, a photo of Carlebach with Republican U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, to which she replied, "I think this qualifies as stalking."

"You are too much," she said.

"He is Jewish Cid Wilson," Wildstein wrote, referring to a leader in the state's Afro-Latino community and a Democrat who twice considered running for the state Assembly.

"You are really so funny," Kelly replied. "He is. No doubt."

"And he has officially pissed me off," Wildstein said.

"Clearly," Kelly wrote. "We cannot cause traffic problems in front of his house, can we?"

Wildstein replied, "Flights to Tel Aviv all mysteriously delayed."

"Perfect," Kelly wrote.

READ THE UNCENSORED RECORDS HERE

Carlebach twice served as chaplain at the Republican National Convention. In 2012, he traveled with Christie to Israel and also attended a menorah lighting at Drumthwacket. Last year, the governor nominated him to the New Jersey-Israel Commission.

"As a Chabad Rabbi, I have served the people of our great state in times of need and otherwise for more than a decade," Carlebach said in a statement released tonight. "In this capacity, I have worked with a number of governors and their administrations. My work has always been apolitical and I have no knowledge nor understanding of why my name was mentioned in these exchanges."

Wilson said he was "shocked, appalled and dismayed" to be mentioned by Wildstein because "I don't know him, I didn't think he even paid attention to me." He said he thought Wildstein referenced him because of his connections to top Democratic politicians, similar to Carlebach's connections to top Republicans.

"The guy is clearly troubled, and I think he's a psychopath," Wilson said, calling the joke between Wildstein and Kelly, "very strange, very deranged."

The 20 pages of documents, released today, also reveal that Kelly was the unidentified recipient of many of the text messages originally provided by Wildstein, the former director of interstate capital projects at the Port Authority.

The committee's attorney, Reid Schar, negotiated the release of the records with Wildstein's attorney, Alan Zegas. Zegas did not return a request for comment. An attorney for Kelly, Michael Critchley, declined comment.

The co-chairs of the legislative committee, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) and Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), said in a joint statement, "Upon review and discussion, it was agreed that many redactions were appropriate because the material was outside of the subject matter or date range requested, but certain redacted information should be made public."

Wildstein originally turned over the documents requested under subpoena by the committee in December, but they contained numerous pages that were partially redacted, making it difficult to determine with whom Wildstein was communicating.



Many portions of the records remain blacked out because the information fell outside the scope of the committee's subpoena, but new details have emerged.

In a previously released exchange from Sept. 10, the second day of the lane closings, Wildstein relayed to Kelly a text from Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich in which he complained about the traffic jam and said, "The bigger problem is getting kids to school. Please help. It's maddening."

"Is it wrong that I'm smiling?" Kelly replied.

"No," Wildstein said.

"I feel badly about the kids," Kelly said. "I guess." In the previously released exchange, it was not clear who made this comment.

"They are children of Buono voters," Wildstein said. "Bottom line is he didn't say safety."

The records also included newly revealed messages between Wildstein and Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director at the Port Authority. On Nov. 12, Baroni wrote, "Are we being fired?"

Wildstein announced his resignation Dec. 6, saying the controversy over the lane closings had "become a distraction, and I'm going to move on." Baroni resigned Dec. 13.

The records also suggest state Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex), who serves on the committee, coordinated with Wildstein on Nov. 25 to release a statement supporting Baroni's testimony earlier that day that the lane closings were the result of a traffic study.

"Trenton feedback?" Baroni said.

"Good," Wildstein said. "O'Toole statement ready."

In the statement, O'Toole criticized Democrats for a "discriminatory" hearing and questioned why Fort Lee should have three local access lanes to the bridge at the expense of other commuters.

“Today’s hearing is an example of the type of government waste that happens when out-of-touch Democrats try to score political points against an ever-popular governor,” O’Toole said. “What could possibly be the reason to hold a hearing specifically for Fort Lee commuters, to the determent of commuters from elsewhere?"

The traffic study explanation has since been largely discredited by a lack of evidence, testimony of other Port Authority officials — including Executive Director Patrick Foye — and the revelation that Kelly was part of the decision to close the lanes.

Democrats say the traffic study was a cover-up, noting that the local lanes from Fort Lee are used by far more people than only residents of the borough. They say the closings were retribution against Sokolich, a Democrat, who did not endorse Christie for re-election.

Many of the 18 subpoenas issued this month by the committee seek records related to who prepped Baroni or was involved in preparing his testimony. Wisniewski and Weinberg have both said O'Toole may be called to answer questions.

The uncensored messages also reveal that one of Wildstein's text message conversations was with Lt. Thomas "Chip" Michaels on the first day of the closings. Wildstein met Michaels so he could personally tour the traffic, records show.

In a separate message sent on the first day and disclosed in records provided by Fort Lee, Michaels suggested rerouting westbound traffic from Hudson Terrace to Center Avenue, toward the lane closings and into the congestion.

Fort Lee Police Chief Keith Bendul replied that it could not be done. "Can't center ave gridlocked," he said. "Suggestion open up 3 toll lanes."

Last week, a source told The Star-Ledger that Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye had ordered the agency's police chief to investigate what role, if any, Michaels had in the closures, including his chauffeuring of Wildstein.

Michaels knows Christie personally and his brother, Jeffrey Michaels, is a Republican lobbyist and former GOP legislative aide. The governor's office has said that Christie had never spoken about the closures with either of them.

Star-Ledger staff writers Ted Sherman and Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

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