David Samson, a key figure in the “Bridgegate” scandal that tarnished New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration, will plead guilty on Thursday to a federal charge tied to a scheme involving United Airlines, a US judge said.
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Jamie Fox, a former lobbyist for United who Christie later named to a cabinet post, has been charged by federal prosecutors with soliciting the bribe. In an email to an United executive after the dinner, Fox wrote that they “need to come up with some spin on the SC flight Samson asked about. he asked in jest – I think – that he hoped that I had good news on the flight”, according to court documents.
Following an internal investigation carried out by United, the airline’s CEO, Jeff Smisek, as well as two high-ranking executives whose role was to interact with government representatives, resigned past year.
Samson’s attorney, Michael Chertoff, did not respond to a request for comment. But an offshoot of the probe centered on allegations of quid pro quo between Samson and United executives. After Samson moved to block Port Authority approval of an airport hangar for United, the flights were restored.
The former chairman of the agency that controls New York City-area bridges, tunnels and airports arrived at a New Jersey courthouse Thursday ahead of a planned court appearance and a news conference by federal investigators.
United Continental Holdings Inc Chief Executive Jeff Smisek and two other senior executives resigned in September 2015 after an internal probe into whether the airline tried to curry favor with Samson by adding non-stop flights between New Jersey and SC, where Samson had a vacation home.
The airline had canceled the flights, but on Thursday, Samson admitted that he used his position as the agency’s chairman to pressure United into reinstating the route.
As governor, Christie conferred with Samson on a wide range of legal, political and transportation issues, and Samson’s law firm reaped a wide assortment of lucrative legal and consulting contracts from state agencies and authorities. In November 2011, Samson and Fox were aware that an agreement between United and the Port Authority relating to United’s construction of a wide-body maintenance hangar at Newark Airport was to be presented to the Port Authority Board for its consideration at its Nov. 5, 2011, meeting. It was known within United as “the chairman’s flight”, referring to Samson’s title with the agency, according to the court documents. Samson reportedly used the flight – which he and a lobbyist often joked about “Chairman’s Flight” and “Samson Air” – more than two dozen times. United began flying the Newark/Columbia route in September 2012 and operated the route until March 2014.
“Our investigation is largely complete and we continue to cooperate with the government”, said United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy.
Samson, a former state attorney general, led the governor’s transition team in 2009, and Christie appointed him to the Port Authority chairman’s post in 2011. His sentencing is set for October 20. He faces as much as 10 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine.
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United agreed to a $2.25 million fine and an agreement with the USA attorney’s office requiring it to strengthen a compliance program created to prevent and detect bribery and corruption, and report on its progress over the next two years, according to the statement from prosecutors. “We will continue to act with the utmost integrity in everything we do, ensuring that we are always conducting business ethically and with the best interests of all of our stakeholders in mind”. The airline’s executive vice president of communications and government affairs, Nene Foxhall, and its senior vice president of corporate and government affairs, Mark Anderson, also stepped down in connection with the investigation.
