David Samson, the former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, pleaded guilty in a corruption case Thursday.
Samson, an ally of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, led the agency when it became entangled in the George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal.
He pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark. Samson could serve up to two years in prison under his plea agreement.
The plea is connected to a probe involving a United Airlines route out of Newark's airport,.
The investigation reportedly focused on route between Newark and Columbia, S.C., near Samson's weekend home.
Samson resigned from the Port Authority board in March 2014 and stepped down from the law firm he founded last year.