Roland noted above:

Sam left his job with Vera Katz for two years before he ran for Council and eventually was elected.

You need to check your facts. I spoke with several sources who said that Sam didn't step down (as Chief of Staff to Mayor Katz) until August 2003, not 2002 as you noted above.

Given the tram "came before the council on August 2002" may we assume that Sam's fingerprints are all over it. After all, SoWa and the Tram were the Mayor's biggest development project, and he was her Chief of Staff.

Maybe you should ask him again: are you sure he didn't play a teeny tiny role in all the back-room wheeling and dealing that took place outside of the public council meetings? Maybe we need an FIA request for all CoP emails or calendars that mention the word "Sam" and "Tram" on the same page? That would be interesting.