embattled chairman of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, David Samson, a long-time friend and mentor to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), resigned his unpaid but politically powerful post on Friday, the governor announced at an afternoon news conference.
Mr. Samson, the senior New Jersey official at the dual-state transportation agency, was the last close ally to Governor Christie left standing after the Bridge-gate scandal broke in January. The governor has described Samson as one of the most influential figures in his career, and he has steadfastly supported the Port Authority chief, even as everyone else involved in the lane-closure controversy either resigned or was fired.
Samson’s top deputies, Bill Baroni and David Wildstein, also appointed to powerful Port Authority posts by the governor, resigned in December as the scandal began to engulf the Christie administration. Bridge-gate would gradually erode the governor's approval ratings in the 2016 presidential sweepstakes.
Read more of the story by clicking on the following: Another Chris Christie ally topples amid Bridge-gate fallout - CSMonitor.com
