David Samson (lawyer)

David Samson is an American lawyer, best known for his career in New Jersey politics and law. He served as the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 2011 to 2014 under New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Samson is a founding partner of the law firm Wolff & Samson (later renamed Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC after Samson's departure). His legal practice focuses on areas such as government relations, infrastructure development, and energy law.

Controversy arose surrounding Samson's tenure as Chairman of the Port Authority. He was implicated in the "Bridgegate" scandal, an incident involving the deliberate closure of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, allegedly as political retribution. While he was not directly charged in that incident, investigations revealed other potential conflicts of interest.

In 2016, Samson pleaded guilty to using his position as Port Authority Chairman to pressure United Airlines to reinstate a money-losing flight route to Columbia, South Carolina, near his weekend home. This led to his conviction and a sentence of probation and community service. He was also disbarred by the New Jersey Supreme Court.