Bridgegate defendant Bill Baroni starts prison sentence

TRENTON — An appointee of former Gov. Chris Christie has reported to prison for his role in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal.

Bill Baroni started serving his 18-month sentence Tuesday the Loretto Federal Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania.

Baroni was a state senator before he became an executive of the authority that operates the bridge. He was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to 24 months in what prosecutors said was a plot to create traffic jams to retaliate against a mayor who wouldn't endorse Christie.

In November, a federal appeals court threw out civil rights counts against Baroni and co-defendant Bridget Kelly and ordered they be resentenced.

Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, is scheduled to be resentenced April 24. She continues to appeal her conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court..

The former Republican governor wasn't charged, but the scandal derailed his presidential ambitions.