Report: Port Authority Chair, A Christie Adviser, Weighs Stepping Down

[Laxman]

9. Just An FYI....

I'll leave it to someone else with the time or resources to track this further. Wolff & Samson apparently represented Silverstein Properties, the developer of the World Trade Center site at some point in time. David Samson had to recuse himself on Port Authority matters involving Silverstein:

Samson, who recused himself 52 times, noted that recusals are up to individual commissioners. He said that, out of caution, he recused himself from matters where he had even tenuous outside ties that would not have affected his judgment. But some ties were more direct.

Samson is a partner at the law firm Wolff & Samson, which previously represented Silverstein Properties, the company that is building part of the World Trade Center site and was locked in tense negotiations with the Port Authority before Samson joined the board. The firm also served as bond counsel for the South Jersey Transportation Authority, which recently agreed to hand over operational control of the Atlantic City Airport to the Port Authority.

Silverstein Properties submitted an RFP for Fort Lee's Redevelopment Area 5. See here: http://www.fortleenj.org/index.php/downloadable-documents/category/40-responses-to-requests-for-proposals.html

Theirs was not the successful proposal. Do not know if Wolff & Samson represented Silverstein at the time they submitted this RPF.