Juicy Details Revealed in United Scandal
Rachael Levitt July 19, 2016
While United Airlines will not be criminally charged for their part in the corruption case surrounding Newark Liberty Airport and the former head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the airline has entered into a Non-Prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office that puts an end to the ongoing investigation by admitting wrongdoing, paying $2.25 million, and strengthening its anti-corruption policies.
From Cranky Flier: “What we knew before was that United was trying to get some infrastructure work done at Newark Airport, but the Port Authority kept stalling on the project. United loosened the logjam by magically starting a flight a couple days a week from Newark to Columbia, SC. The flight just happened to be timed exactly when David Samson, the Chairman of the Port Authority (the entity that runs Newark) wanted to fly to his home 50 miles outside Columbia. Coincidence? Of course not.” The official statement of facts — for which names are not named, but can be certainly be inferred — can be read here.
For more on the United Scandal, go to FlyerTalk.
[Photo: Jeff Smisek via John O’Boyle, NJ Advanced Media]
And speaking of government officials, the photo above should be relabeled "Jeff Smisek shaking hands with NJ Governor Chris Christie." No reason to dissemble...
Yea I'm wanting at the government officials to be charged and heads to roll more so then United.
At the very least, the Port Authority Chairman, David Samson, should be criminally charged.
Too bad government is so rotten and ineffective that a firm has to resort to such just to get basic things done.
And Smisek still gets to keep his package? Any wonder why execs are so willing to break the law.