Kushner Nominated to Port Authority Board

Now, if the state senate approves, he will become a key member of the board of directors of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He's been nominated by new Gov. Jim McGreevey to take the board slot vacated recently by investment banker Lewis Eisenberg.

According to observers, he could also be on the fast-track to become chairman of the board as soon as this spring. The governors of New York and New Jersey appoint an equal number of members to the board, which then picks its own leadership once a year. For the sake of equanimity, it has become standard procedure for the chairman to come from the Garden State and the vice chairman and executive director from New York. That scenario is expected to play out again when the next vote takes place in April.

Kushner has been described as a close friend and political ally of McGreevey. Indeed, he and his various enterprises were the top monetary contributor to McGreevey's successful election campaign last fall. His combined contributions to the 2001 campaign and McGreevey's unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign back in 1997 are said to be close to $400,000.

The PA, of course, has plenty of issues on its plate, ranging from rebuilding the World Trade Center site to dredging New York harbor. If confirmed to the board, Kushner stands to become one of the most powerful figures in the New York/New Jersey metro area.