A subpoena issued by the federal prosecutor from Manhattan to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey seeking documents related to Chairman David Samson was rescinded this afternoon, a source with knowledge of the subpoena said
A subpoena issued by the federal prosecutor from Manhattan to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey seeking documents related to Chairman David Samson was rescinded this afternoon, a source with knowledge of the subpoena said.
Samson has been under intense scrutiny by investigators and the media for several votes he has taken on Port Authority actions that may have benefited clients of his law firm, Wolff & Samson.
The subpoena was initially sent to Samson on Friday by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
However, the subpoena was withdrawn, according to the source, because of an overlapping investigation by Paul Fishman, the U.S. attorney in New Jersey.
Fishman has acknowledged he is looking into issues surrounding the September 2013 closures of local lanes feeding onto the George Washington Bridge. The closures caused extensive gridlock throughout Fort Lee and the investigations are seeking to ascertain, as some have alleged, that they were politically motivated by the Christie administration.
Previously subpoened documents by a legislative committeee also looking into the lane closures, which took place over four days, have suggested Samson had knowledge of them beforehand or immediately afterward.
Samson has denied knowing about the closures and has defended his actions as chairman of the Port Authority, even as a coalition of New Jersey labor organizations and other groups filed a complaint a week ago with the State Ethics Commission, charging Samson's law clients benefited from his position at the agency.
Samson had no response today to the latest developments in the ongoing investigation.
But Michael Chertoff, co-counsel for Samson said, "We are not commenting on the progress of investigations. Let me add, there continues to be a good deal of erroneous coverage of matters pertinent to my client. That will become evident in due course.”
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