What is it about New Jersey that causes people with accomplishments to take a turn toward the dark side? The water? The air? When people asked Sandy McClure and me on book tour for “The Soprano State” we told them, “That’s why we subtitled it ‘New Jersey’s Culture of Corruption.'” There is something different about the culture of politics in The Garden State. Too many politicians think public service is about them and what they can get from it. David Sampson, 76, is a well connected lawyer, a former New Jersey Attorney General, former chairman of the New York/New Jersey Port Authority, a mentor to Gov. Chris Christie, a Jersey power broker. And now a felon after pleading guilty to a bribery count in getting a United Airlines route between Newark and Columbia, S.C., which is closer to a second home in Aiken, S.C., a favorite of the horsey set.
There had been such a flight. It was cancelled for lack of traffic. During a dinner with a consultant and UAL officials, Samson told the judge, it was made clear the Columbia flight made it more convenient for him to get to his second home. He also admitted he removed from the Port Authority agenda a plan UAL had to build a hangar for wide-bodied planes in Newark — after being told the airline had no plans to reinstate the route.
United brought the route back and it was such a blatant move it was referred to as “the chairman’s flight.” Samson took it 27 times through 2013. Samson left when Bridgegate broke — the George Washington Bridge is operated by the Port Authority. United ended the flight.
Samson resigned after Bridgegate although he never was charged in that. Gov. Christie has not been directly implicated either and said he never knew of the lanes closings until after it was over. But before a South Carolina audience, Donald Trump said this: “He totally knew all about it.” And added, “How do you have breakfast with people every day of your lives [and not know].” Two other Christie allies, Bill Baroni (former NJ. state senator and former deputy executive director of the Port Authority) and Bridget Anne Kelly (former Christie deputy chief of staff) go on trial in September for their alleged roles. A third Christie appointment, David Wildstein, has pleaded guilty. Samson resigned from Wolff & Samson, a law firm he helped found. The firm changed its name to Chiesa, Shahinian & Giantomasi. That Chiesa is Jeff Chiesa, who worked for Christie in the U.S. Attorney’s office and in state government as chief counsel and attorney general. He was named by Christie to temporarily fill the seat left vacant by U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s death.
Also charged with a felony in the United probe is Jamie Fox who Christie named to head his Department of Transportation. Fox was the lobbyist for United when the flight to South Carolina was added. In the administration of Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey, Fox was DOT chairman and then chief of staff. When McGreevey stepped down after a scandal he named Fox to the Port Authority. I will leave it to the court to determine Fox’s guilt or innocence. But I will tell you this: Fox could get things done. When the E-ZPass system didn’t work, Fox fixed it. I wrote a column saying there wouldn’t be so many complains about the DMV if employee there wore badges identifying themselves so customers could know who they’re talking to. Several weeks later, Fox came to my office and dropped something on my desk. It was the very first DMV name tag with my name on it. He was approachable, you could talk to him.
This week was not a good one for Christie.
Samson pleaded guilty. Fox, 61, was charged. Trump decided to look elsewhere for vice president, the second time a Republican nominee has passed him over. No doubt about it, the Bridgegate scandal played some kind of role, although Christie never was charged with anything. Also playing a role was an investigation during Christie’s time as U.S. Attorney, a tenure that saw him bring to justice more white collar criminals than his predecessors. Christie has a much better record than his successor, Paul Fishman, who allowed Samson a plea bargain despite Samson’s refusal to cooperate with investigators. Samson is scheduled to be sentenced in October. His defense will argue you can’t send a man that old to prison with common criminals. That kind of thinking is what keeps people like him thinking they can break the law and get by with it.
One of the people Christie sent to prison is Charles Kushner, who McGreevey wanted to name to the Port Authority (Gosh, that outfit just keeps coming up.) Kushner was nailed after a probe involving prostitutes, video tape and family drama. Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, who married Trump’s daughter Ivanka. Ivanka and hubby Jared are heavily involved in Trump’s campaign.
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