Christie urges people to confront dune holdouts at Jersey shore; calls Margate

But when the airline abandoned those flights just months later, it was required to pay back money – mostly used for advertising – to the agency.

Earlier this year it was reported that at a September 2011 dinner with United Airlines executives and Port Authority officials, Samson had asked now-former United CEO Jeffrey Smisek to create a route that would allow Samson to fly from Newark Liberty Airport to an airport in Columbia, South Carolina near Samson’s vacation home. That flight is the subject of a federal criminal investigation.

A message left with Fox’s spokesman was not immediately returned Friday evening.

Related: Ethics issue arises over United Airlines subsidy; N.J.

Maybe it’s his presidential poll numbers, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has panic on his mind.

Christie’s statement late today only indicates that Jamie Fox will be returning to the private sector.

“It looks like we dodged a bullet this time”, he said. He responded, “No reason why he wouldn’t be”. “I appreciate all of your concerns for Commissioner Fox, but he is at work, and working hard, along with deputy commissioner (Joseph) Bertoni, to make sure that our transportation systems, both rail and automobile, around the state are in good working condition so that folks can make their way around the state despite whatever weather challenges we have”.

“Being Commissioner of the Department of Transportation under Governors from different parties has been the best job I have ever had”, said Fox. A longtime political power broker in state government, Fox had served as a top aide to former Gov. James.

What happens next on that front is unclear. He said he will consider ordering evacuations if necessary.

“That is unprecedented”, Christie said.

“Three years almost now after Sandy, it is one of the real frustrations of my governorship that that isn’t done”, Christie said.

Fox’s departure also comes as New Jersey lawmakers struggle to find a clear path forward on funding road work next fiscal year. He declared a state of emergency on Thursday. According to Cruz, Fox had been reportedly involved in a few discussions and investigations. The state Senate confirmed him later that month.

And a few were even cheeky enough to reference Bridgegate, the scandal engendered when Christie acolytes caused chaos by shutting down lanes leading to the giant George Washington Bridge in retaliation against a local mayor.