New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie associate David Samson to plead guilty in federal court

NEWARK, N.J., July 14 (UPI) -- David Samson, a close associate of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former chairman of the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York, will plead guilty Thursday to federal charges in a continuing criminal investigation into the transit agency.

Multiple news outlets reported Samson was being investigated in connection to allegations he coerced United Airlines to set up a so-called "chairman's flight," a non-stop flight from Newark, N.J., to South Carolina, where Samson has a vacation home. The flight was introduced 18 months into Samson's tenure at the Port Authority and canceled three days after he resigned in 2014.

Samson arrived at the federal courthouse before 9 a.m. on Thursday but would not respond to reporter's questions. Federal prosecutors have scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. Thursday.

Samson's hearing comes after a widescale investigation into the 2013 toll-lane shutdown of the George Washington Bridge as political retribution. Christie has not been directly linked to the bridgegate scandal. .