Mayday, Mayday! This Is The Chairman's Flight.....

[Laxman]

and we're going down! Seems like items #203 and #230 over at the Christie Crime Digest have heated up some. Three United executives, including the CEO have resigned in response to a Federal investigation into "the chairman's flight" instituted to ferry Christie confidante David Samson between his vacation home in South Carolina and NJ. Jeff Smisek and some of the boys over at United have found that dealing with Christie and his cronies is a dangerous game. I'm sure they didn't resign to spend more time with their families. So, while Christie has been busy "squeezing the orange" it seems the Feds are getting ready to start squeezing David Samson. Go check out the two entries in the crime digest, especially this one-http://project.wnyc.org/christie/#latest-454262 . It's so interesting when these little stories start to play out over time. What do you think Christie's excuse will be now?

The resignations also complicate the fortunes of Mr. Christie as he tries to resurrect his once-promising presidential bid, by underscoring the accusations of cronyism that have dogged his administration since the bridge scandal broke in early 2014. The governor has distanced himself from other figures implicated in the scandal, saying that they deceived him. But Mr. Samson, despite his resignation, has remained one of the governor’s closest advisers.

read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/09/business/united-ceo-port-authority-investigation.html?_r=0

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. And more here:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-28/the-dinner-proposal-that-led-united-into-corruption-probe

United Airlines Inc. was seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in public investment for the airport in Newark when its chief executive dined with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s top Port Authority official in September 2011.

Jeffery Smisek, United's chief executive officer, wanted funding for several projects, including an estimated $600 million extension of the PATH train from downtown Newark to the airport, as the airline worked through its merger with Continental Airlines.

Halfway through dinner at Novita, an Italian restaurant in Manhattan, Port Authority Chairman David Samson surprised the group with a request of his own. He complained that he and his wife had grown weary of the trip to their weekend home in Aiken, South Carolina, because the best flight out of Newark was to Charlotte, North Carolina, 150 miles away. Until 2009, Continental had run direct service from Newark to Columbia, South Carolina, 100 miles closer.

In a tone described by one observer as “playful, but not joking,” Samson asked: Could United revive that route? An awkward silence fell over the table.

Read the whole thing. It appears that Samson held up United's requests for improvements until it agreed to add the Columbia, SC flight (which was a money-loser). Two weeks afterwards the Port Authority agreed to start work on studying a rail route to EWR. Four days after Samson resigned from the Port Authority, United canceled the flights to Columbia. It's not clear yet whether this was a shakedown of United by Samson or bribery of the Port Authority on behalf of Samson by United. But it's very smelly.

[Laxman]

2. And For Some Context....

from back in April:

The Dinner Proposal That Led United Into a Corruption Probe

Although many details of the discussions between United and the authority remain unknown, documents reviewed by Bloomberg News indicate there may have been a direct link between the request for the Columbia flight and the Port Authority’s process of approving projects involving the airport. They raise the possibility of bribery or extortion, according to legal experts who reviewed the information in the documents.

In considering whether laws were broken, the intentions of Samson and United will be important, according to former prosecutors and others, none of them them involved in the case. For bribery-related violations, prosecutors must show a quid pro quo -- or specific intent to give or receive something of value in exchange for an official act.

If prosecutors believe a crime was committed, they must then determine whether to treat the Newark-Columbia route as a shakedown or a bribe, said Daniel Richman, a Columbia University law school professor and a former federal prosecutor.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-28/the-dinner-proposal-that-led-united-into-corruption-probe

Was it a shakedown or a bribe? That question reminds me of Rev. Jim filling out the application for the driver's test on Taxi. Drug addiction or mental illness? I don't know, that's a tough choice. This is getting very interesting.

[Beach Rat]

3. Do you think the us attorney has gotten to Samson yet?

His lawyers are playing dumb in the article. What do you think is going on? If they've got the goods on him I've got to think Samson is either going to pull a Frankie Five Angels in the bathtub or give up the big man on something.

[Laxman]

4. This Is The First I've Seen Anything Like This....

in writing. It certainly sounds ominous-but it could mean almost anything. Christie goes around saying he cooperated with the multiple investigations. Hopefully that isn't the type of cooperation they mean:

The original investigation sought to answer whether the George Washington Bridge lane closures of September 2013, which caused massive traffic problems in the town of Fort Lee, N.J., were political payback for the Fort Lee mayor's refusal to endorse Christie for reelection. Since the start, the investigation has revolved around Christie's personal friend and top executive at the Port Authority, David Samson, who is cooperating with federal agents.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/09/ceo-united-airlines-just-resigned-because-bridgegate

Pull a Frankie Five Angels?

[Beach Rat]

5. From The Godfather!

got a visit from Tom Hagen and took the "honorable" way out. I wonder if Christie has anyone visiting Samson?