Christie’s Eye Is On The Sparrow

D. Responsibilities of the Deputy Chief of Staff of IGA

Southwell asked about the responsibilities of Bridget Kelly, the former Deputy Chief of Staff of IGA. O’Dowd understood that Kelly served as the liaison between the executive branch and local elected officials: Kelly and her team were responsible for interfacing with local officials to see what was going on in their respective communities and to identify any issues that the Administration could help address. For example, if there was a pothole in Bridgewater, Kelly might reach out to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and ask if the agency was aware of the issue. Kelly was also responsible for organizing the logistics of various public events, including the Governor’s town hall meetings, bill signings, and breakfast meetings at Drumthwacket, where the Governor would host different constituency groups. In this regard, Kelly worked closely with the communications staff, including Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Planning Maria Comella, including with respect to communicating with the Governor. Kelly also oversaw who sat in the Governor’s box in various stadiums for events, and Kelly communicated with the Governor on this.