HTTP/1.1 302 Found Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 19:18:43 GMT Server: Apache Set-Cookie: NYT-S=0M.b8J.MlQO2XDXrmvxADeHGMPTMIIvAxDdeFz9JchiAIUFL2BEX5FWcV.Ynx4rkFI; expires=Sun, 27-Apr-2014 19:18:43 GMT; path=/; domain=.nytimes.com Location: http://ift.tt/1dB0beY Content-Length: 0 nnCoection: close Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 HTTP/1.1 200 OK Server: Apache Cache-Control: no-cache Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Length: 54609 Accept-Ranges: bytes Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 19:18:43 GMT X-Varnish: 159505111 159504785 Age: 6 Via: 1.1 varnish Connection: keep-alive X-Cache: HIT
http://nyti.ms/1dBdcFT
David Samson, the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has resigned. He was appointed to the authority's board in 2011. Credit Richard Perry/The New York Times
Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced on Friday that the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, David Samson, has resigned, the latest fallout from the scandal surrounding the closing of several traffic lanes at the George Washington Bridge.
Mr. Christie said he had discussed the matter with Mr. Samson and they agreed that new leadership was an essential part of reforming the multi-billion dollar agency. Mr. Samson’s resignation is effective immediately.
Mr. Samson, a prominent lawyer and close ally of the Republican governor, was appointed to the authority’s board in 2011. The Port Authority, run by officials selected by New York and New Jersey governors, controls bridges and tunnels that connect the two states.
Mr. Christie said that Mr. Samson had raised the subject of retiring well before the scandal and there was nothing to indicate that he had done anything wrong.
Continue reading the main story
Related Coverage
“I think that his role was not central in any of these things, nor has it ever been alleged that his role was central,†Mr. Christie said. “He is 74 years old and he is tired,†he said.
Mr. Samson issued a statement on Friday, after Mr. Christie made the announcement at his first news conference in nearly three months.
“Over the past months, I have shared with the Governor my desire to conclude my service to the PANYNJ,†he said in a written statement. “The timing is now right, and I am confident that the Governor will put new leadership in place to address the many challenges ahead.â€
Mr. Samson came under scrutiny after emails were made public showing that during the September week that the lanes were closed, Mr. Samson derided his New York counterpart at the authority after he ordered the lanes reopened.
In the emails, Mr. Samson seemed more concerned about his belief that the official was leaking information than about the impact on commuters.
Mr. Christie’s news conference came one day after a law firm hired by his administration released a report that found Mr. Christie was not involved in the decision to close the traffic lanes that led to four days of gridlock in Fort Lee, New Jersey and a scandal that continues to threaten his political career. Mr. Samson declined to be interviewed by the lawyers who prepared that report.
Since it was revealed that one of his top aides, Bridget Anne Kelly, approved of the lane closings – after months of the governor publicly denying that anyone in his administration was involved – Mr. Christie has slowly sought to rebuild his reputation.
Once considered a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, Mr. Christie for the last three months has charted a carefully chosen course as he tries to move beyond the scandal — even as two other investigations, one by state lawmakers and another by federal prosecutors, continue to unfold.
One of Mr. Christie’s first moves was to reassure well-heeled Republican campaign donors behind closed doors at fund-raisers across the country that he was still a viable candidate. It is an ongoing effort and after his news conference, Mr. Christie is scheduled to fly to Las Vegas, where he will meet with Sheldon G. Adelson, a billionaire and Republican power broker whose endorsement is coveted by several 2016 presidential prospects.
In recent weeks, Mr. Christie has also started working to reconnect with voters in New Jersey, appearing at town-hall-style meetings where he could ostensibly be asked about anything.
However, more often than not, the people at the events were not interested in asking about the lane closings or his political fortunes.
On Thursday, Mr. Christie appeared to take the next step in his rehabilitation: presenting himself to a national audience by sitting for his first television interview since the scandal erupted.
In an interview with Diane Sawyer that aired on ABC’s “World News,†the governor said that he did not think the recent events doomed his chances to compete for his party’s presidential nomination and he indicated that he was still considering a run.
“Listen, I haven’t made a decision about 2016. And I don’t intend to make a decision on 2016 till a year from now,†Mr. Christie told Ms. Sawyer.
More on nytimes.com
Site Index
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1dB0bf7
0 comments:
Post a Comment