NEWARK, N.J. (CN) — Living up to his promise of "rottweiler"-style questioning, a defense attorney turned up the heat Friday on the star witness in the federal trial over politically engineered lane closures that crippled New Jersey traffic in 2013.
Michael Critchley took over cross-examination of David Wildstein this morning for the witness' sixth day on the stand.
Critchley represents Gov. Chris Chritie's former chief of staff, Bridget Ann Kelly, who faces charges of fraud and misuse of government resources. She along with former Christie ally Bill Baroni stand accuse of orchestrating four days of gridlock traffic caused by closing two lanes onto New Jersey's George Washington Bridge in September 2013.
Wildstein has already admitted that the plot was intended to get back the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for not endorsing Christie's re-election campaign. He faces up to 15 years in prison, though his testimony against Kelly and Baroni is expected to shave time off that sentence.
Wildstein saw himself as Gov. Christie's enforcer at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and told the court about his dreams of putting Christie in the White House.
The Bridgegate conspiracy wound up torpedoing Christie's primary campaign, though the New Jersey governor has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
During cross-examination Friday, attorney Critchley showed the court a photograph in which the expression on Wildstein and Christie's faces are nothing short of amazed.
Wildstein said he had been teased about how they both had "adoring looks" for each other in the image.
Critchley went into attack mode right away in his questioning of Wildstein.
The attorney shares a first name with Baroni's counsel, Michael Baldassare, but Critchley told reporters this morning that the similarities end there, likening their style differences to that of a rottweiler and a shih tzu.
Attacking the witness about his "path of lies," Critchley went through all of the lies and political machinations that make up Wildstein's life.
"You know right from wrong, don't you," Critchley asked.
Wildstein said, "Generally speaking."
"There are times when I've done things that were wrong," Wildstein allowed.
Critchley doubled down.
"There were times when you engaged in lies and deception when it was in your interest or something you were interested in," the attorney said.
Critchley brought up a story that has emerged repeatedly since trial began two weeks ago — that Wildstein once bragged about stealing a coat from the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg — hoping the elderly Democrat would have to borrow someone else's jacket and be uncomfortable.
When this story came up earlier this week, Wildstein chalked his behavior up to that of an "exuberant volunteer."
The description did not sit well with Critchley.
"You were a thief," the attorney exclaimed.
"At the time I was proud of myself, and I'm embarrassed by it now," Wildstein said.
In keeping with his image as a Nixonian-style enforcer, Wildstein felt a kinship with the iconic "Pulp Fiction" character Winston Wolfe, played by Harvey Keitel. Port Authority Police meanwhile referred to Weinstein as "Meyer Lansky." Weinstein said he enjoyed being thought of as a Jewish mob boss.