After 'Bridgegate,' Gov. Chris Christie's fortunes changed

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A former federal prosecutor and Republican governor in Democratic-leaning New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie earned a reputation as a no-nonsense, law-and-order leader.

[...] he also said the scandal probably affected Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's decision not to pick him for a running mate.

Prosecutors say the lane closures were political payback orchestrated by Bridget Kelly, Christie's deputy chief of staff at the time, and Bill Baroni, deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the time, against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, the community at the foot of the New Jersey side of the bridge, for failing to endorse Christie in his 2013 re-election effort.

The governor's outreach to Democrats and wide margin of victory were seen as a powerful line on his political resume ahead of a prospective presidential race, bolstering claims he could carry women and minority votes in competitive states.

In May 2015, federal prosecutors charged Kelly and Baroni, whom Christie had appointed, with wire fraud and civil rights violations.

While not-guilty verdicts would clearly be victories for Christie, Montclair State University political science professor Brigid Harrison said that even guilty verdicts could do little harm to the governor's reputation unless there is new evidence linking him to the scheme.

Dworkin predicted the trial itself could reveal less-than-flattering details about how the Christie administration conducted politics leading up to and surrounding the closure.