Salvador Rizzo of The Star-Ledger reports Top Port Authority official defends his actions in wake of bridge scandal, saying that he did not speak out about the George Washington Bridge lane closures, or do anything about it because he thought it "was just election-year politics at work." New Jersey lawmakers from the legislative committee investigating the lane closures questioned Schuber, who was appointed by Governor Christie to the PA board in 2011, for several hours today.
Schuber said that he had "no involvement or prior knowledge," and took no actions to stop it, and didn't even discuss it with other commissioners after Patrick Foye wrote a scathing email about it raising the possibility that criminal acts may have been committed. "The way I looked at it, it was a gubernatorial election year — there was a high degree of partisanship," Schuber testified.
"Did you do anything to try to investigate whether the bridge lane closure was proper?" Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester) asked.
"No," Schuber said.
"You're a lawyer, right?" Moriarty continued. "Don’t you get a little nervous when people claim that laws might have been broken and you're one of the commissioners?"
"Quite frankly … you rely on your staff to do the right thing," Schuber said. "That's personally how I felt about it."
The committee is trying to determine how David Wildstein, a low level outsider could have managed to pull off such a conspicuous action as closing lanes for so many days with no "apparent reaction" or support from those inside the Port Authority responsible for oversight and management.
But, don't look for answer from William Schuber because he "knows nothing!" and only worked there as one of the top commissioners on the Board of Directors. He apparently shows up for Board Meetings just for the coffee because it's really the staff that runs everything, and makes all the decisions as far as he is concerned.
Is this guy still a commissioner? He should resign and buy his own coffee, IMO.
Rizzo also tells us Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), a co-chair of the special legislative committee said she tried to reach out to Schuber in the days after the lane closures, and he never got back to her. She said:
"I am disappointed in the Authority's response, but on a personal level I am disappointed in your lack of advocacy on behalf of the residents of Bergen County," Weinberg wrote to Schuber in a letter Sept. 19.
David Samson thinks of the joy children have during the Christmas and Hanukkah season. (Snark)
And, in an email the committee released today, David Samson called Weinberg a "jerk" after reading her letter and asked Schuber if he wanted him to do anything about it.
Wow. Again we see David Sampson down in the bushes seem to act like an "enforcer" for the Christie gang. No one is going to believe he "knew nothing," or did not do anything in this scandal.
"Pat: I received a copy of Loretta's 9/19 letter to you about her being 'disappointed … on a personal level'; what a jerk! do you want me to do anything?" Samson wrote to Schuber.
"That is kind of you, but no, it's ok," Schuber responded at the time, adding that he had called Weinberg about her letter.
"I think she has never gotten over our 1998 Race!" he added. Schuber defeated Weinberg in the race for Bergen County executive that year.
Schuber also doesn't know why the committee is being "stonewalled" on some of the Port Authority documents the committee has subpoenaed because that's what the Port Authorities have lawyers for.
Despite his apparent lack of any knowledge about anything, and lack of taking any actions, or asking any questions to anyone about the lane closures he still thinks he is doing a great job at fulfilling his fiduciary responsibilities as a commissioner. I disagree and think he ought to resign. If he doesn't Governor Christie should demand it, because tolerating this kind of "I know nothing" leadership, could give Christie's administration a bad name. (Snark alert!)
Drip, drip, drip...