Christie Cronies Doing Well, Law and Ethics Be Damned
Port Authority Chairman David Samson Comes Under Strong Criticism
Former State Department of Environmental Protection official and activist Bob Wolfe (sic) says Samson was likely instrumental in getting the proposal in front of the Pinelands Commission.
“To make that happen, to get multiple agencies coordinated and on the same page and giving concessions to a project takes top-down political intervention that Samson is famous for,” said Wolfe. ~~~ WNYC Jan 10, 2014
(Source: WNYC)
[Important Updates below]
I’m a little behind the news curve and just read WNYC reporter Andrea Bernstein’s devastating story on Port Authority Chair and Christie Crony, David Samson, listen and read: Under Christie, Business Booms for Port Authority’s Chief
Mr. Samson is personally and deeply involved in both Bridgegate and the Hoboken Shakedown scandals. Both events are under at least 6 federal and state criminal, legislative, and administrative investigations.
Our previous work exposed potential ethical conflicts of interest associated with Christie’s selection of Samson’s firm as an auditor of Sandy funds: (read complete HUD Inspector General complaint)
… we are concerned that the reviews taking place under state authority may be compromised by politics. According to the New Jersey Comptroller’s website, the law firm of Wolff & Samson has been selected as a contractor to conduct various auditing and program oversight functions.
One of the named partners of that firm, David Samson, served as Gov. Christie’s campaign counsel and as the head of his gubernatorial transition. In addition, Mr. Samson is Gov. Christie’s appointee to the Board of Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Moreover, the principal in Samson’s firm overseeing audit management of the state Department of Community Affairs is Lori Grifa, Christie’s director of that same agency from 2010 to 2012.
The political connections and revolving door dynamics raise issues of the independence and objectivity of state contract auditors. These dynamics further argue for the need of a thorough independent audit of these expenditures.
Prior to that, we also connected his firm Wolff & Samson to the recent Pinelands pipeline controversy, a story that clearly paved the way (sees: Christie Loses Pinelands Pipeline Vote
But we were really just scratching the surface –
It took the excellent reporting of Andrea Bernstein did dig up these facts: (see chart above)
The governorship of Chris Christie has been very good for David Samson, a close associate he installed as chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – and who has emerged as a central figure in the scandals swirling around the New Jersey governor. Records show that his law firm’s lobbying revenues have skyrocketed during Christie’s tenure, and its business as a bond counsel has quadrupled. […]
Records also show that Wolff & Samson’s municipal bond counsel business has quadrupled during Christie’s tenure. During the previous administration of Gov. Jon Corzine, the firm handled $2.4 billion worth of bond sales. In Christie’s first term, just concluded, that jumped to $10.1 billion, according to data provided to WNYC by Thomson Reuters, a media and information company that tracks the municipal bond market.
Wow! Not bad work if you can get it!
And on top of all that, now get this :
At the same time that Christie’s Office intervened to disqualify Pinelands Commissioner and Columbia Law School Professor Ed Lloyd for highly dubious alleged conflicts of interest and his Attorney General’s Office found no ethical concerns disclosed in a complaint filed against two other Pinelands Commissioners who held large investments in oil, gas and pipeline companies, it seems that no one in the Christie Administration was concerned about the ethical issues of Port Authority Chairman Samson – WNYC story:
“It has the appearance of significant conflict of interest,” said James Doig, a Dartmouth and Princeton professor who is the author of Empire On the Hudson, the definitive tome on the history of the Port Authority. Doig said it could be possible for Samson or Christie to present information showing the mixing of business and government work were proper. But, he added, “until I had information that seemed persuasive I would say it looks like a clear ethical violation.”
Governor Christie has no problem with any of this – at his two hour press conference on Bridgegate (before the Hoboken disclosures), he said he met for two hours with and strongly supported “General” Samson.
So, if Gov. Christie is too ethically challenge to even see a problem, we look forward to, at a minimum, the resignation of Chairman Samson.
More shoes to drop as more stories emerge on Samson’s clients that got favorable treatment by the Christie Administration.
[Update 1/28/14 – just as we predicted, another shoe drops: Questions on Port Authority Chairman David Samson’s PATH station vote
Interestingly, for the first time, DEP is brought into the scandal. There is PLENTY of low hanging fruit in DEP – just look at Wolff & Samson clients and how they got special treatment in permit, enforcement and various DEP cleanup approvals.
W&S lawyers to focus on are Dennis Toft, John Valeri, and Lori Grifa. Lots more examples. – end update]
[Update #2 – 1/30/14 – Bergen Record reports: Proposed N.J. bill would require Port Authority panel to examine ethical issues – Gov. Christie vetoed the bill last year.