Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Investigated For Creating Airline Schedules For Its Chairman

RECORD FILE PHOTO
Former Port Authority Chairman David Samson

[From article]
Federal prosecutors are investigating whether the route was set up, in part, to provide former Port Authority Chairman David Samson with more direct travel between Newark and his weekend home in Aiken, S.C., about 50 miles from the airport in Columbia. There were two round trips a week, with a flight to Columbia on Thursday evenings and a flight back to Newark on Monday mornings.
The flight — which Samson referred to as “the chairman’s flight,” according to one source — was initiated when Samson was chairman and stopped three days after his resignation in late March of last year.
[. . .]
The Record first reported earlier this month that the Port Authority had received a federal subpoena related to Samson’s personal travel and his communications with United and its former lobbying frim, Fox Shuffler. A principal of the firm at the time, Jamie Fox, is now Governor Christie’s transportation commissioner. Fox is also a close friend of Samson’s.
[. . .]
“It seems to me that one possible theory is whether or not they gave David Samson something of value to influence his decision making with regard to federal funds,” said David Lat, a former federal prosecutor and now managing editor of abovethelaw.com. “These types of federal statutes don’t have to be satisfied by bags of money.”

http://www.northjersey.com/news/air-route-at-center-of-port-authority-probe-was-one-of-nation-s-loneliest-1.1275801?page=all

Air route at center of Port Authority probe was one of nation's loneliest
FEBRUARY 21, 2015, 10:50 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2015, 11:06 AM
BY SHAWN BOBURG AND DAVE SHEINGOLD,
STAFF WRITERS
THE RECORD