New Jersey Congressman Hires Controversial Consultant for Re-election Bid
Republican Representative Jeff Van Drew from New Jersey’s 2nd District has enlisted the services of a campaign consultant with ties to the infamous 2013 Bridgegate scandal. This consultant, Bill Stepien, is a seasoned GOP strategist known for managing Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Van Drew, who is running for his fifth term, represents an area encompassing Atlantic City and parts of Toms River. Recent campaign finance records reveal that his campaign paid Stepien Strategic Partners $10,000, split into two $5,000 payments in October and December 2025, to assist with public relations.
Bill Stepien has a storied political history, having served as a campaign manager for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie during his 2013 re-election bid. At that time, a significant controversy arose when two traffic lanes on the George Washington Bridge were closed, causing severe traffic congestion in Fort Lee, NJ. The closures were initially justified as a “traffic study” by Christie’s administration.
However, an email from Bridget Anne Kelly, who succeeded Stepien as Christie’s deputy chief of staff, seemingly pointed to a different motive. The email, sent a month before the closures, stated, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” and was addressed to David Wildstein, a Christie appointee to the Port Authority Board of Commissioners.
Federal prosecutors later alleged that the lane closures were a vendetta against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, who had not endorsed Christie’s campaign. This led to significant political fallout, including Wildstein’s resignation and the firing of Kelly in January 2014 by Christie. Christie also severed ties with Stepien, opposing his nomination as chair of the New Jersey Republican Party.
The legal proceedings following the scandal saw Kelly and Bill Baroni, another Christie staffer, convicted and sentenced to prison. However, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned their convictions in 2020, ruling that the charges were not applicable, despite not disputing their actions.
In addition to his political endeavors, Stepien previously managed Baroni’s 2003 campaign for the New Jersey State Assembly.
Jeff Van Drew, who switched parties from Democrat to Republican in 2019, continues to serve on the House Oversight Committee, which examines political misconduct. His Democratic opponent for the 2026 election will be determined in the upcoming primary on June 2.
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