A unanimous Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the convictions of two of former New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s political allies in the “Bridgegate” case, saying the federal government went too far in prosecuting them for retaliating against a political rival.
“The message delivered in this ruling is that hardball politics, even instances in which corruption and abuse of power may be clear, cannot be turned into a federal crime unless the public official’s dishonesty was aimed at obtaining money or property,” said Robert A. Mintz, a Newark lawyer and former federal prosecutor. “A purely political motive is simply not enough to criminalize even deceitful political behavior.”