Port Authority Board Criticizes Executive Director For Comments About Christie Appointee

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) - Internal squabbling at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has taken a new turn.

A day after Executive Director Patrick Foye slammed Chairman David Samson in print as unfit to lead the bistate agency, five members of the board of commissioners sent a letter to Foye criticizing his actions.

The letter obtained by The Associated Press is signed by board members who are New Jersey appointees to the board. Samson, a Gov. Chris Christie appointee, didn't sign the letter.

Foye is an appointee of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The Port Authority is being investigated for lane closures at the George Washington Bridge last fall that resulted in the resignations of two Christie allies at the agency.

Emails indicate a top Christie aide and one of his Port Authority appointees worked together to arrange the lane closures, possibly as political retribution against the mayor of Fort Lee. That aide has since been fired.

The lane closures were initially labeled a traffic study, but Foye has been adamant that he was not told of any traffic study and has said he was "appalled" by the decision to shut down the approach lanes to the most-traveled bridge.

Through a spokesman, Foye declined comment Wednesday afternoon.

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