"They can't make up facts," Governor Christie blasts in his press conference, "read the report!" It seems the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, David Samson, did not need to read it all and gave his resignation to Christie before the ongoing news conference - effective immediately. Mr. Samson, as WSJ reports [2], was a strong ally of Christie and had been under intense scrutiny for weeks, after investigations into the lane closures led the media, legislators and federal prosecutors to examine the intersection of Mr. Samson's private business interests and his leadership of the bistate authority. Fall guy?
Via WSJ, [2]
David Samson resigned as chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Friday, marking a third resignation of a top ally of Gov. Chris Christie amid the fallout from the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal.
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Mr. Christie announced Mr. Samson's resignation Friday, in a news conference addressing Thursday's release of a report commissioned by attorneys representing his office. Those attorneys found no evidence that Mr. Christie knew of the lane closure affair before it happened.
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Mr. Christie said he embraced his attorneys' calls for reform of the Port Authority, and suggested he would even support "dismantling the Port Authority operations," a drastic step that would represent a sea change in New York and New Jersey government.
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Mr. Samson said in a statement that he had told Mr. Christie for months that he wanted to leave the authority.
"Over the past months, I have shared with the Governor my desire to conclude my service to the PANYNJ," Mr. Samson said. "The timing is now right, and I am confident that the Governor will put new leadership in place to address the many challenges ahead."
Nothing to see here, move along... on the brioght side, at least Christie wasn't trafficking weapons...