So you think politics has gotten weird? Well, it just got weirder – or, as gonzo-journalist Hunter Thompson once wrote in one of his “Fear and Loathing” essays: “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”

With that in mind, say hello to the newest and perhaps weirdest professional journalist in New Jersey – David Wildstein.

Maybe you remember him as the Port Authority hack who deliberately jammed up traffic on Fort Lee’s streets near the George Washington Bridge in September 2013 as part of the creepy political payback scheme that came to be known as “Bridgegate.”

Or maybe you remember him as the mysterious political gossip columnist who did not use his real name but instead wrote under the nom de plume, “Wally Edge.” Or maybe you recall his reputation as an ambitious political dirty trickster who yearned to gain the attention of Chris Christie.

Or, most significantly, maybe you remember Wildstein standing before a federal judge in Newark in July 2017 when he was sentenced for his Bridgegate crimes and declaring that his days as a player in New Jersey politics were essentially over.

“It is the penalty I must pay for my own ignominious behavior,” Wildstein lamented, recalling his silly plan to cause massive gridlock in Fort Lee.

Well, things have changed. Or, to put it another way, redemption – yes, even resurrection -- has come to David Wildstein in a big way.

Wildstein now runs “New Jersey Globe,” which has become one of the most-watched political websites in New Jersey. Just 15 months after he seemed to be heading toward some sort of political exile, Wildstein is hardly being penalized for his “ignominious behavior.”

Once branded a pariah of New Jersey politics – indeed, an example of all that is dirty and bizarre with the state’s politics – Wildstein now has official press credentials. He strolls through the State House. He shows up for press conferences and asks questions. Even U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, the Paramus Democrat, sang “Happy Birthday” to Wildstein, 57, after a recent press conference.

It needs to be said that Wildstein’s “New Jersey Globe” website is not exactly Facebook. His audience appears to be in the thousands, not the billions worldwide who are drawn to Facebook and other popular websites and social media platforms.

But what’s important is not so much the size of Wildstein’s audience but the fact that the people who regularly visit his website are some of the most powerful and influential political figures and lobbyists in New Jersey, along with their staffs and other operatives.

Think about that for a moment. Think back to the revelations just five years ago of how Wildstein had dreamed up the Bridgegate caper. He was mocked and vilified by Republicans and Democrats alike.

And now? Consider what a Democratic political strategist told me when I asked about Wildstein’s sudden influence: “Say what you want about him, he has run circles around the mainstream news outlets.”

That sentiment is obviously an exaggeration. But it reveals a new truth about Wildstein: Even Democrats admire him now. He shows up and covers political events big and small -- some of them not newsworthy. His website is filled with the tick-tock of New Jersey politics – the daily bump and grind of canned press releases and ribbon-cutting press conferences. In a world where politicians crave attention, Wildstein is all ears.

What’s odd here is that New Jersey’s politicians seem to have collectively developed a sudden case of amnesia about the fact that Wildstein is the same guy who pulled off the Bridgegate caper.

It’s worth noting that everyone is capable a dramatic, life-changing transformation that leads them to a better place. Exhibit A is former Gov. James McGreevey. He resigned in shame in 2004 and is now regarded as one of the state’s – perhaps the nation’s – leading advocates for prison reform.

But it took McGreevey years to find his new groove. Wildstein’s rapid turn of the page is startling, especially in light of what he told U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton, begging for leniency and declaring that he would never again become a player in New Jersey politics.

Wildstein told the judge that Bridgegate would "define the remainder of my life." He went on to add: "After my family, politics was the most important thing in my life. My own deeds will forever preclude my ability to be involved in politics or government. For me, this is totally agonizing.”

Well, let's just say Wildstein's agony didn't last long. As the true scale of the Bridgegate scandal unfolded in 2014, Wildstein smartly reached out to federal prosecutors. In return for a promise of leniency, he agreed to plead guilty and testify against others – namely Bill Baroni, the deputy executive director of the Port Authority, and Bridget Anne Kelly, the deputy chief of staff for Gov. Chris Christie.

Even though substantial evidence existed that others in the Christie administration knew about the Bridgegate plot ahead of time – including Christie – federal prosecutors targeted only Baroni and Kelly. With the help of Wildstein’s testimony, Baroni and Kelly were convicted in November 2016 of an array of federal charges linked to Bridgegate. Kelly was sentenced to 18 months in prison; Baroni to 24 months.

Wildstein escaped prison. Judge Wigenton handed him a sentence of three years probation and 500 hours of community service. Initially, he moved to his home in Sarasota, Florida and kept quiet. But then the lure of politics was too great. He started his website, returning to New Jersey now and then to cover political events, staying in West Orange. Indeed, Wildstein's website became so successful that he managed to hire a reporter.

Consider, meanwhile, the fate of Baroni and Kelly. Judge Wigenton allowed them to delay their prison sentences while they appealed their convictions. But neither has been able to find a job. Friends say that Kelly, a single mother of four who lives in Ramsey, and Baroni, who lives in Manhattan, are both struggling financially.

The point here is the contrast of their lives now with Wildstein’s. The architect of Bridgegate – Wildstein – is thriving, traveling between Florida and New Jersey, showing up at press conferences and glad-handing some of the state’s most powerful politicians. Meanwhile, two other Bridgegate players are awaiting a ruling by a federal appeals court on whether they go to prison.

That’s how weird this saga has become.

“My name ID is fairly high in political circles,” Wildstein told me when I reached him by phone. “New Jersey politics is the greatest spectator sport ever. It’s always interesting. It’s always exciting. I’ve got great sources. I always have. And I still do.”

Oh. Simple as that, right? Two years ago, Wildstein was labeled one of the great creeps of New Jersey politics. Now his phone number is on speed dial with dozens of the state's top politicians -- except Chris Christie.

Wildstein says he has not run across Christie yet. When a Globe reporter attempted to interview Christie, Wildstein says the former governor brushed him off, saying “I don’t talk to you guys.”

Wildstein says he doesn't care what Christie thinks of him. Even if Christie begged Wildstein to interview him and feature him on his website, Wildstein says he would refuse. “I’m focused on covering New Jersey politics factually and accurately and have no interest in writing fiction,” Wildstein said of Christie. “Anything he says to me I don’t believe.”

As for Bridgegate, Wildstein insists he is ashamed of what he did. But, hey, life goes on. “I don’t laugh about it. It was serious,” he told me. “But I’ve accepted responsibility and moved on.”

Ah, redemption. It’s a wonderful thing. New Jersey's prodigal son is back.

Maybe it's not as weird as it seems. After all, this is New Jersey.

Email: kellym@northjersey.com

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