David Samson
David Samson, the former Chairman of the Port Authority of NY/NJ and a former New Jersey Attorney General was sentenced to one year of home confinement, four years probation and fined $100,000 for using his official authority to pressure the parent company of United Airlines Inc to institute a non-stop flight from Newark to South Carolina so that he could visit his second home on weekends.
Samson pleaded guilty to one count of bribery last year. The sentence was imposed today by U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark federal court.
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Posted: March 6th, 2017 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Bridgegate, David Samson, New Jersey | Tags: Bribery, Bridgegate, David Samson, Jamie Fox, New Jersey, United Airlines | 2 Comments »
Former New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox was charged by federal officials for his role in the bribery scheme that former Port Authority Chairman David Samson pleaded guilty to today, according to a statement by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.
Additionally, United Airlines has agreed to a pay a $2.5 million penalty and to make compliance reforms for its role in the scheme in which it established a non-stop route between Newark-Liberty Airport and Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina for Samson to fly to his vacation home in Aiken, SC. In exchange Samson allowed the Port Authority Commission to approve a lease of three acres at the airport for United to build a maintenance hanger.
Fox, in his role as a $7,500 per month consultant to United, is accused of shaking down United employees, on Samson’s behalf, to get the route to South Carolina established.
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Posted: July 14th, 2016 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Bridgegate, David Samson, New Jersey, News, Port Authority | Tags: Chris Christie, David Samson, Jamie Fox, New Jersey News, Port Authority of NY/NJ, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman | Comments Off on Former NJ DOT Commissioner Jamie Fox Charged in Samson’s United Airlines Bribery Scheme
NEWARK–David Samson–the embattled former chairman of the powerful Port Authority of New York and New Jersey–pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon to using his considerable clout to coerce one of the nation’s largest airlines to accommodate his desire for a regularly scheduled, non-stop flight to a South Carolina summer home. Samson, 76, a well-connected lawyer and one-time New… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: July 14th, 2016 | Author: admin | Filed under: Bridgegate, Chris Christie, Christie Administration, David Samson, New Jersey, Port Authority | Tags: Bridgegate, Chris Christie, David Samson, New Jersey, Port Authority of NY/NJ, United Airlines | Comments Off on David Samson, close confidant of Christie, pleads guilty in airline shakedown
David Samson
Former Port Authority of NY/NJ and former New Jersey Attorney General David Samson will plead guilty to a federal felony related to the United Airlines route from Newark Airport to Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina, which is about 50 miles from Mr. Samson’s vacation home, according to a report by Ken Kurson for The Observer.
The route, which is alleged to have often been empty and money losing, was established while Samson was Chairman of the Port Authority and discontinued within days of Samson’s resignation in the wake of the Bridgegate scandal. The September 2013 George Washington Bridge closure at the center of the Bridgegate matter occurred while Samson was Chairman. As Chairman of the Port Authority, Samson oversaw United’s relationship with the authority’s airports.
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Posted: July 6th, 2016 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Bridgegate, David Samson, News | Tags: Bridgegate, David Samson, news, Port Authority of NY/NJ | 4 Comments »
NEW YORK — Desperate to draw visitors to Atlantic City, New Jersey officials gave United Airlines more than $100,000 in incentives to fly to the seaside resort for at least a year. Then, when United abruptly canceled the money-losing routes eight months later, the officials appointed by Gov. Chris Christie decided not to enforce a contract… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: September 29th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: Atlantic City, NJ DOT, Port Authority | Tags: Atlantic City, Bridgegate, Chris Christie, David Samson, Jamie Fox, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox, United Airlines | 2 Comments »
The chief executive officer and two other senior executives of United Airlines were unexpectedly ousted today — effective immediately — in connection with an ongoing federal probe into the airline’s dealings with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Jeff Smisek stepped down from his roles as chairman, president and chief executive officer of… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: September 8th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: Bridgegate, David Samson, Port Authority | Tags: Bridgegate, Chairman's flight, David Samson, Jeff Smisek, Port Authority of NY/NJ, United Airlines | Comments Off on United Airlines CEO resigns over Port Authority probe
Governor Chris Christie has consistently thumbed his nose at New Jersey Republicans
Governor Chris Christie continued the transition of the Executive Branch of New Jersey’s State Government back to the Democratic Party today with his announcement that Charles A. Richman will become Acting Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs on Friday when current Commissioner, Richard Constable, leaves government service after 13 years. Christie’s announcement said that Richman will be formally nominated to succeed Constable in the Commissioner’s post.
Richman, a career New Jersey bureaucrat with 40 years experience, served in the cabinets of Governor Brendan Byrne and Governor Richard Codey, on a acting basis.
Throughout his second term as Governor, Christie has appointed high profile Democrats to fill cabinet level and other important goverment positions when vacancies have occurred.
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Posted: March 23rd, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2016 Presidential Politics, 2017 NJ Gubernatorial Politics, Chris Christie, Christie Administration, New Jersey | Tags: 2016 Presidential politics, Brendan Byrne, Charles Richman, David Samson, DCA, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Transportation, Governor Chris Christie, Governor Tom Kean, James Simpson, Jamie Fox, Jim McGreevey, John Degnan, Jon Corzine, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Richard Codey, Richard Constable, Thomas Kean Sr | 2 Comments »
TRENTON — In a story that has been told only by the slow-drip disclosure of subpoenas, the ongoing investigation into the George Washington Bridge scandal that has engulfed the Christie administration and some of his closest advisers continues to grow. In the latest revelations, United Airlines confirmed today that it has been asked to turn over…
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TRENTON — The former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has dropped his lawsuit against New Jersey’s state ethics commission. Court documents show David Samson filed paperwork dropping the suit in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. His decision was first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Phone calls to Samson’s lawyers were…
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TRENTON — David Samson, the former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking to head off a state ethics probe of his work at the bi-state agency. Samson and his law firm sued the New Jersey State Ethics Commission in U.S. District Court, claiming it does…
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