Jamie Fox, Chris Christie, Richard Mroz
In this Sept. 18, 2014 file photo, Gov. Chris Christie announces that he has chosen Jamie Fox, right, to be commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, during a news conference in Trenton, N.J. The appointment also made Fox the chairman of the South Jersey Transportation Authority. Fox had spent four years working as a lobbyist for United Airlines and other clients. (AP File Photo)
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New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox, who returned to the job to renew the state Transportation Trust Fund a year ago, is leaving the job to return to the private sector.
Gov. Chris Christie announced Fox's departure and that Deputy Commissioner Joseph Bertoni will take over as Acting Commissioner Friday afternoon.
"Commissioner Fox will remain on the job this weekend, working with the Governor and other cabinet members as New Jersey weathers the nor'easter impacting the state today and continuing to monitor the course of Hurricane Joaquin," Christie said in a release.
Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts declined to comment beyond the release.
Fox returned to the job in September 2014 with a goal to renew the trust fund, which runs out of funding in July 2017.
"I had hoped that we could secure a credible long-term solution for the Transportation Trust Fund within a year," Fox said in a statement. "I deeply regret we were unable to do so, and with a year behind me, it is time for me to return to the private sector and pursue new opportunities."
Former DOT officials said earlier this year that Fox had been frustrated since last winter with the gridlock in Trenton about finding new revenue to replenish the trust fund and had considered stepping down then.
"I wish we could have gotten the job done, but I thank the Governor for the opportunity to serve and hope he is able to reach the needed solutions to our state's transportation challenges," Fox said.
Fox replaced Commissioner James Simpson, who left in June 2014 to return to the private sector. Fox was transportation commissioner under Gov. James E. McGreevey, and had served as Chairman of the Board of NJ Transit and Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Known more as a hard-edged, backroom political fighter more than transportation guru, Fox has a reputation as the go to guy for turning around faltering political campaigns. A Democratic insider who served as chief of staff to Gov. James E. McGreevey and former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli, he was also senior adviser in Obama's Florida operation during the 2008 presidential campaign.
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Fox had come under fire this week and was accused of violating ethic laws by two former state officials for not recusing himself from a meeting that discussed United Airlines last year, NorthJersey.com reported.
Fox, a former lobbyist who represented United, adamantly denied in a lengthy statement Tuesday that he violated ethic laws by attending the closed-door meeting in November, which discussed the airline's underperforming flights in Atlantic City, the report said.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.