Yesterday, American Journal News reported that Rep. Jeff Van Drew hired a consultant tied to the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal in New Jersey.
Read the whole story here.
Key Excerpts:
- Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew hired a campaign consultant linked to the 2013 Bridgegate scandal that nearly sent two people to prison.
- New campaign finance disclosures show that Van Drew’s campaign made two payments of $5,000 each to Stepien Strategic Partners, a firm that advises candidates and lawmakers on public relations. The payments were made in October and December 2025.
- The firm is owned by Bill Stepien, a longtime GOP operative who managed Donald Trump’s unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign. Stepien later spread debunked conspiracy theories claiming that the election was rigged against Trump, as did Van Drew.
- In January 2014, Christie fired Kelly over the incident and announced that he would no longer work with Stepien. He also denounced Stepien’s nomination to become chair of the New Jersey Republican Party.
- In 2015, Kelly and another Christie staffer, Bill Baroni, were indicted for their involvement in the scheme and sentenced to prison time. The conviction was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, which did not dispute Kelly’s or Baroni’s actions but determined the specific charges brought against them were not applicable.
- Van Drew serves on the House Oversight Committee, which is tasked with investigating political corruption and malfeasance. His Democratic challenger for 2026 will be chosen in a June 2 primary.
Published: Mar 13, 2026