what happened to caren turner port authority
2023 - Process Story. A former Port Authority commissioner insulted and cursed at New Jersey officers after a traffic stop over Easter weekend. Turner was the chairman of the Port Authority's Ethics Committee. Turner asks, apparently referring to Tenafly police traffic officer Louis Smaragdakis. Chris Christie had engineered a scheme to close lanes at the George Washington Bridge to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, who'd declined to endorse Christie's re-election that year. Former Gov. / CBS/AP. Allies of former Gov. ", "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," Turner says. The video showed that a Democrat lobbyist was shouting at the responding officers and saying may you shut. Who is Caren Turner and why did she become the focus of a viral dashcam video. "Ma'am, take a step back. Enter Caren Z. Turner, a Port Authority commissioner at the center of the scandal and mother of one of the backseat passengers. The astonishing patience of the Tenafly officers is only beginning to be tested. All rights reserved, NBC 4 to Exclusively Air and Stream Live Coverage of 262nd St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 17, Nasty Winter Storm Eyes NYC Area: Heavy Rain, 40 MPH Winds, Snow Expected Over 12-Hour Siege, This 26-Year-Old Pays $0 to Live in a Luxury Tiny Home' She Built for $35,000 in Her Backyard Take a Look Inside, Port Authority commissioner Caren Z. Turner was captured on police dash cam ranting at and cursing at police officers in Tenafly in March, Her daughter was in a car that had been pulled over; she yells at the cops, "You may shut the f--- up! The first officer, perhaps because this is a total non-sequitur, is unmoved. Call it privilege run amok. "What's the problem?" "No, no, no. Turner digs in, now insisting she be informed of the charges, saying, "I'm involved. I will be talking with the chief of police, and I will be speaking with the mayor, she said. Samson, a former New Jersey attorney general, was convicted and sentenced to home confinement and was fined $100,000 in what became known as the "chairman's flight" episode. I'm involved. ", As she continues to complain, the officer suggests they move the conversation to another location because they were on a high-speed road. The resolution commends the officers, stating that they "deserve the admiration of the public for their extraordinary professionalism, and for a job well done. By signing up to the Blaze News newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from Blaze Media that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. I'm very involved," she said. The bi-state agency received a complaint about. Mark Zinna, the former Tenafly Borough Council President who served as acting Mayor in 2017 is now calling for official misconduct charges to be brought against Turner. ", Later, out of sight of the camera, after the car is impounded by a police-contracted towing operator, she tells the officer: "I hope you're happy because you seem to have a smug-ass look on your face and it seems to please you. The Tenafly. Moment One: 'Alright, you guys are all set. ", When she asked again why the car was pulled over, the other officer addressed Turner as "miss. Yet the Port Authority board was so impressed with the police departments performance and tone, that on Thursday it passed a resolution praising the department for its officers demeanor. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. A spokeswoman for the Attorney General's office said on Tuesday afternoon that it neither confirms nor denies investigations. Tenafly Police Chief Robert Chamberlaintold NJ.comhe would let the video speak for itself. We, the current Board, have worked relentlessly to hold the agency and ourselves to the highest possible ethical standards. Turner resigned Monday when she learned she was being investigated by the Port Authority board A Port Authority of New York and New Jersey commissioner caught on camera delivering an. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, SpaceX launches new crew to space station, Prosecution wraps case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, White House cybersecurity strategy pivots to regulation, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, Rape kits from two women lead to arrest in 1979 murder of one of them, FDA authorizes first at-home test for both COVID and flu, Couple accuses fertility clinic of implanting embryo with cancer genes, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence, Port Authority official seen ranting at officers resigns. The agency hurried to head off any further damage to its image. Read more about it here. A spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement to News 4, "The Board takes its recently adopted Code of Ethics for Commissioners extremely seriously Commissioner Turners resignation was appropriate given her outrageous conduct.". She told to NJ.com that my daughter was in the car with her three friends when a police officer pulled over the car. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Caren Z. Turner abruptly resigned on Monday as the Port Authority said that it was investigating allegations that she'd violated the board's code of ethics. This isn't going to go down like this. Three former Christie administration officials were ultimately convicted in the case. The officer said, have a pleasant weekend and she said, same to you. The officer said this car doesnt belong to you and your daughter. You must understand the nature of our work, you can read out the report about them and let us do our work. The censure was unanimously approved, across state and party lines. Turner, who works in public relations, flashed her badge and boasted of her position at the agency when she showed up to a March traffic stop in which her daughter was a passenger, then berated and insulted the two police officers involved, telling one of the officers, you may shut the f--- up.. ", The officer says, "You work with police officers, correct? By Claude Brodesser-Akner | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "I'm here as a concerned citizen and friend of the mayor and been in Tenafly for 20 years.". As the officer examines the gold shield, Turner, wearing a plum colored, hooded vest, lowers her voice somewhat and answers, "I am a . Turner has already worked as the ethics chair of Port Authority before leaving it. Turner could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Phil Murphy will nominate a replacement for Turner, a Democratic lobbyist from Bergen County. Turner's daughter was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for an expired registration March 31. The officer said in the report that he told her he was under no legal obligation to fill her in on what happened because all the occupants in the car were adults. The Port Authority oversees airports, bridges, tunnels and rail facilities across the region. Chris Christie, and has served on finance committees for Hillary Clinton and Gov. One of the officers called Turner "miss," and she quickly reprimanded him and instructed him to address her as "commissioner.". I never violated the code and ethics of Port Authority and never requested to change rules for anyone involved. "They remained polite, focused and professional.". We will not go back to the way it was.. "Trust me, I will be in with the police commissioner of Tenafly," warns Turner. Turner then delivers her first name-drop, saying that she's there not just as their ride, but "as a concerned citizen, and a friend of the mayor.". In deep trouble, I reached there to pick them up. ", She later says, "The police have all been in my home, and in my second home, and in my third home in Tenafly.". Police dash cam video shows Port Authority commissioner Caren Z. Turner ranting at two Tenafly police officers, You may shut the f up!, Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. ", But the officer continues, "You don't seem like a very big police supporter, I don't know. I let my emotions get the better of me and regret my tone toward the police officersand use of off-color language. | Getty. Caren Turner, who led the Port Authoritys ethics committee, resigned from the agency in April after its leadership learned of the badge incident. Turner begins to complain that the officers have a duty to tell her what charges have been brought against the driver of the vehicle. Turner had abruptly resigned from her Port Authority seat last week after the video surfaced, making the public censure largely symbolic. Shame on both of you. ", Moment Twelve: 'You know Louis What's-His-Name?'. Police dashcam video of the incident went viral. Two Tenafly Police Department. Schmaradaski?" All rights reserved. While in her statement Turner said, at no point did I violate the Port Authoritys Code of Ethics or ask for special treatment for anyone involved, nor did I suggest, in any way, that I would use my position at the Port Authority to affect the outcome of the violations issued to the driver, the boards resolution declares otherwise. Initially, the cops pulled over the driver for having tinted side windows and a partially covered license plate. State Sens. We have witnessed the potential for the abuse of power and now it is time to act, Gopal said in a statement. She didn't seem dangerous. A moment later, however, the officer reverts back to his old form of address: "Miss, this does not involve you.". To replace Turner on the board, Daniel Horwitz, a white collar defense attorney, has been elevated from vice chair to chairman of the ethics committee. Being a mother, hurt me a lot. | Getty. Mr. Horwitz is now chairman of the boards committee on governance and ethics, a position Ms. Turner held at the time of the traffic stop. The police officers impounded the car and left them on the roadside. (Image source: Video screenshot). One officer takes a proffered business card, but lead officer declines, saying, "I don't need that." The Port has referred the matter to the New Jersey State Ethics Commission. Turner was. "You may take them," says the officer, gesturing to the vehicle's driver and passengers. The censure was a swift and harsh rebuke of Ms. Turner, who interceded in a March 31 traffic stop in Tenafly, N.J. Video released by the police captured Ms. Turner, 60, flashing her Port Authority badge and swearing at officers who had stopped and impounded a car her daughter was riding in. "I'm very disappointed in the way you're acting. Turner didn't return a call seeking comment. An appointee of New York Gov. You're picking them up. [3] [21] Traffic stop incident [ edit] Caren Turner . All of that because of the male driver with Nevada plates who was pulled over because part of his license plate was obscured. Caren Turner , A Port Authority commissioner refused wrongdoing by ranting. Turner, who led the Port Authoritys ethics committee, resigned from the agency in April after its leadership learned of the incident. Moment Eleven: 'It's not they. Anyone whos seen that video will agree that the conduct on that video is not only out of bounds for any public official, its out of bounds for any member of the public in respect to how they act with the police, Mr. Horwitz said. Her daughter had called Turner to pick her up along with several friends after the car in which they were riding was impounded. 04/26/2018 04:50 PM EDT. I want to take these four people on Easter Sunday to New Haven. It started out as a routine traffic stop for an obscured out-of-state license plate. Moment Six: 'I am a commissioner of the Port Authority.'. Trust me. Then Turner threatened them by using her relations with the mayor and chief of police. Thank you. The video also shows the Democratic lobbyist becoming increasingly agitated with the responding officers. You may tell me nothing, because you told me nothing. After the internal investigations of the agency about Turner, she resigned from her post as commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Ms. Turner, like Mr. O'Toole, was appointed to the. OToole said he took his badge out just once to show his kids, who thought it was cute.. Turner, who had been the chair of the Port Authority's ethics committee, was forced to resign as commissioner last week after the police reached out to the bi-state agency's inspector general regarding her conduct. A spokesman for Turner declined further comment on Thursday. No really, her name is actually Caren with a C. Caren Turner, to be precise. Morgan was the tower. I'm 'Commissioner.' Turner, who led the Port Authority's ethics committee, resigned from the agency in April after its leadership learned of the incident. The Port Authority, in taking action against Turner, apologized to the police chief in Tenafly and the two patrol officers in the Bergen County community for "the outrageous and abhorrent conduct" of the former, and the "unwelcome attention that followed.". People cross the line and don't know when to stop. "As a long-time Tenafly resident, I have always taken an active role in the community, including working with law enforcement officials, and I encourage the Tenafly Police Department to review best practices with respect to tone and de-escalation, so that incidents like this do not recur," she said. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The former Republican New Jersey Gov. The video showed her attempting to intervene with police--first by flipping out her Port Authority gold badge and insisting she be addressed as "commissioner," then trying to bully the officers by dropping the names of higher-ups in town, and then ending with a string of profanities. All rights reserved. Turner could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Andrew Cuomo, Horwitz used to chair the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics. Some New Jersey lawmakers want to eliminate law enforcement-style badges for most politicians after former Port Authority Commissioner Caren Turner used hers to pressure a cop who pulled over a car with her daughter in it. As a crime of the second degree, official misconduct carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison without parole, and carries a maximum of ten years. The video, which has no clear sound, shows the 60-year-old Democratic lobbyist waving to an officer and talking to someone at the front desk. The officers, who maintained their composure and spoke respectfully to Turner, would not share the details of the traffic stop with the woman because they said the driver and Turner's daughterwere over the age of 18. You're being very demanding with me," the officer says. Soon after Turner arrived on the scene to pick up the college students who'd been riding in the car, she pulled out herbadgeand business card, showed the police and demanded answers. Turner becomes combative. The Tenafly police reported the episode, which did not result in any charges against Ms. Turner, to the Port Authority on April 11, according to its chairman, Kevin OToole. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey sought to make one thing abundantly clear on Thursday: Despite former Commissioner Caren Turner's misbehavior, the agency . As Turner and Officer Savitskywalk off camera to inspect the car as it's loaded onto a tow truck, Turner makes one final threat. A New Jersey Port Authority commissioner who touted her status and told two New Jersey cops to "shut the f*** up" during a traffic stop, which didn't involve her, has resigned, the New York Daily News reported. ", Then she turns to the other officer, "And you are just following him. Upon learning of the incident from the Tenafly Police Department, the Port Authoritys inspector general launched an investigation, OToole said. Turner, a Democratic lobbyist and, until recently, a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board member, became an unwitting YouTube star when, on March 31, she rolled up on a. It was only after the Inspector Generals office sought an interview with Turner that she resigned. Things now get heated, as Turner threatens to go over their heads to their boss. Listen to The Rubin Report now. ", When the first officer tells Turner that she "may" now escort the group away, she responds, "You may not tell me when to take my child. Her posting took place last year by Chris Christies reference. Moment Seven: 'Don't call me 'Miss,' I'm 'Commissioner!'. At this, she begins to verbally berate the officers as "pathetic" and unleashes a torrent of profanity. For this, I apologize," Turner said in the statement. Turner's tirade against the patrol officers included profanity, insults and the repeated reference of her position as a Port Authority commissioner, all captured in a video. The second officer looks on, a look of bemused bafflement on his face. Call it the ultimate "Do you know who I am" PR disaster. Former Chairman David Samson, another Christie ally, resigned in 2014 after it was revealed that he'd used his power as chairman to coerce United Airlines to operate a direct flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, for his convenience. During my long time stay in Tenafly, I played an active role in community work and also helped the law enforcement personnel, I also gave a new spirit to the Tenafly Police Department. Unfortunately for Turner, and perhaps also the Port Authority, the episode was caught on a police dash cam and released to the press. This isn't going to go down nicely.'. You are a disappointment. Gov. Big mistake. ", The officer says the car has to be impounded, and the driver nods and responds agreeably through the conversation, even prompting the officer to tell him, "You seem like a really nice guy, I don't mean to be doing this to you, putting you in this spot. Turner does not relent, however, and presses him: "I just want to know why.". "You may not tell me when to take my child," Turner said. Port Authority commissioner of New York and New Jersey has caught by camera giving an explosive-laden tirade to the police officers during a traffic stop. In a new video provided by police, Turner is shown in the lobby of police headquarters following the March 31 incident on busy Route 9W in Tenafly. Poor MIT, how did they get dragged into this mess? Moment Fourteen: 'I will be speaking to the chief of police.'. You can't put a sentence together, sorry. The driver had a valid license, but couldn't find the vehicle's insurance card or registration and so the car was impounded. Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole said the board had sent letters of apology to Tenafly officers Matthew Savitsky and Tom Casper, as well as Chief Robert Chamberlain. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The Port Authority did not reveal what Caren Turner is accused of having done, saying only that she violated the board's "newly enacted code of ethics." (Scott Roth/Getty Images for. Turner has been fired from her post as a Port Authority commissioner, but her troubles may not end there. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. as she continued stepping in closer and closer to one of them. "Trust me, I'm very involved. ", "Guess what? "As a parent, I was upset and uncomfortable with the unfolding events. But even if Gopals bill is signed by New Jersey Gov. That is why I used some harsh words and tone. The tense exchange continues for several minutes. The matter was also referred to the state Ethics Commission. 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