From 2,500 miles away, former Hillsborough resident Jeffrey Yuhasz said he feels vindicated that the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey in May fired officials whom Mr. Yuhasz had claimed were
By Kelly Velocci, Packet Media Group
From 2,500 miles away, former Hillsborough resident Jeffrey Yuhasz said he feels vindicated that the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey in May fired officials whom Mr. Yuhasz had claimed were misusing funds and accepting “extravagant” gifts.
Mr. Yuhasz, who worked at the Port Authority from 2009 to 2012 as a principal financial analyst, has claimed the agency might have misspent $58 million from June 2007 to June 2011 from the Master Construction Insurance Program. Mr. Yuhasz said in a press release that he brought these claims to his direct supervisor, who “failed to take any action,” in 2011.
In May 2012 Mr. Yuhasz sent his whistleblower complaint to higher-up Port Authority officials. In Mr. Yuhasz’s statement, he said, within four hours of sending the email, he was put on unpaid suspension and ushered out of Port Authority headquarters by agency police.
In May of this year, Port Authority officials whom Mr. Yuhasz included in his complaint were fired after an inspector general investigation, according to the Port Authority.They are treasurer Anne Marie Mulligan, vice treasurer Veronica Biddle and Jon Huxel, risk manager.
This was long-awaited news for Mr. Yuhasz. “I’m taking a big sigh of relief,” he said.
Since filing his whistleblower complaint he said he went through a divorce and several medical and emotional issues. Mr. Yuhasz now lives with relatives in Port Angeles, Washington. He has been unable to find a job and is currently serving as a leader in an alcohol recovery group.
The Port Authority would not discuss or confirm that Mr. Yuhasz sent a whistleblower complaint. In a statement, Port Authority spokeswoman Lisa MacSpadden said, “Mr. Yuhasz was terminated for his poor job performance and an atrocious attendance record. A subsequent investigation by the independent Office of the Inspector General concluded that there was no evidence his termination resulted for any other reason.”
Mr. Yuhasz acknowledges that he was consistently absent from September 2012 to January. He said his absence was due to medical issues that are documented by his doctor and Port Authority medical staff.
Following his firing, Mr. Yuhasz said he contacted a lawyer but was told more evidence was needed. Mr. Yuhasz said he is no longer able to file a lawsuit against the organization because the statute of limitations has passed. He said he believes the Port Authority waited to fire the treasury officials until the statue of limitations passed.
In Mr. Yuhasz’s 2012 press release he said “he has no immediate plans to file a lawsuit and is not represented by counsel, but merely feels the need for the public to be informed.”

