Posted on 09/09/2015 8:52:28 AM PDT by tcrlaf
The Bridgegate scandal has yet to take down New Jersey governor Chris Christie (though it probably hasn't helped his 2016 chances), but in an unexpected twist, it indirectly sparked the resignation of a handful of top United Airlines executives. Jeff Smisek, chairman and chief executive, Nene Foxhall, executive vice president for communications and government affairs, and Mark R. Anderson, senior vice president for corporate and government affairs, stepped down on Tuesday amid a federal corruption probe into whether the airline launched an unprofitable Newark to Columbia, South Carolina, flight solely for the benefit of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chairman, who used the flight for jaunts to his vacation home near Columbia.
The Port Authority chairman in question is close Christie ally David Samson, who was appointed by the governor in 2010 and stepped down in 2014 over his alleged role in the politically motivated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. The federal probe initially focused on the bridge scandal, but the investigation has expanded into other forms of suspected corruption at the Port Authority, including the so-called "chairman's flight."
(Excerpt) Read more at nymag.com ...
Smisek apparently agreed to schedule an RJ at times that were convenient for the Chairman to get to his vacation home outside of Columbia, in return for improvements at Newark Airport, where it is the largest carrier.
The flight was launched in 2011 shortly after Smisek and Samson had dinner in Manhattan, and it was canceled just days after the Port Authority chairman stepped down. It wasn't profitable, and was kept as a "Weekend Layover" in Columbia, instead of flying and making money.
Republican scandals never become “old news.”
Seems United could have simply chartered a private aircraft instead of doing it that way. Not that I understand the industry well enough to know if that could have been done and kept quiet.
And you are absolutely right: in NY/NJ it’s well known that palms need to be greased if you want to get anything of consequence done. Right, wrong, indifferent, that’s the way it is.
Corruption in NJ??? You don’t say! That’s unheard of!
Bridgegate has NOTHING to do with why Christie 2016 chances are slim to none. Maybe NYMAG Margeret Hartmann doesn't have a clue about what people want in a President anywhere but NY!
I grew up in Atlantic City (Ventnor Heights actually). My dad was career Coast Guard. We left the day after I graduated high school and I have only been back a couple of times. No regrets though I do miss the beach. Beautiful sand! I met a guy in Washington, D.C. while seeing the sites with my family in the early 90’s. He was also from A.C. and we struck up a conversation. He told me about all the horrible stuff happening at the high school. He asked me if I knew what the N.J. state motto was. I said that I didn’t - to which he stated, “It’s ‘You have the right to remain silent anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law’.” I loved it! So very N. J.
Jeff Smisek, chairman and chief executive, Nene Foxhall, executive vice president for communications and government affairs, and Mark R. Anderson, senior vice president for corporate and government affairs, stepped down on Tuesday amid a federal corruption probe into whether the airline launched an unprofitable Newark to Columbia, South Carolina, flight solely for the benefit of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chairman... close Christie ally David SamsonHillary Clinton broke the law and is still not under indictment, BUT OUR TOP STORY IS...
If they had chartered private, then everyone would have known who it was for.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.