Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Tuesday 20 March 2018

Book online using our special promo code 1casa18 and 2casa18
NYC launches investigation into Kushner Cos. false filings

Continued from Front Kushner employee, some-
Construction harassment is times by its chief operating
"a tool designed to make officer. None were signed
the lives of rent stabilized by Jared Kushner himself.
tenants so unbearable, so For its part, the New York
intolerable that they are Department of Buildings
forced to give up the most said its investigation into
valuable thing one can the matter is ongoing and
have in the midst of an af- that it has undertaken a
fordable housing crisis, af- series of steps to spot fu-
fordability." ture false filings. Among
Also Monday, the office of them, the department last
New York Attorney General year launched a program
Eric Schneiderman said it is in which examiners cross-
looking into the issue and check new construction
planned a meeting with applications against a da-
tenants' representatives tabase of rent-regulated
in coming days. Both Tor- buildings.
res and Schneiderman are The department also said
Democrats. that it disciplined a con-
The Kushner Cos. said in a tractor, Michael Conard,
news release Monday that who it says filed false docu-
"the investigation is trying ments while working on two This March 15, 2018 photo shows apartment buildings in the Astoria section of Queens, N.Y. The
to create an issue where Kushner buildings in Queens Kushner Cos. routinely filed false paperwork with the city declaring it had zero rent-regulated ten-
none exists. Kushner Com- that are currently under ants in dozens of buildings it owned across the city, including these, when it, in fact, had many of
panies did not intentionally investigation by a tenant- them.
falsify DOB filings in an effort harassment task force. His (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
to harass any tenants." case has been referred to "amended" form with the from the buildings men- before taking on his adviso-
The company said it out- law enforcement. correct numbers. tioned in the documents ry role at the White House,
sources the preparation of Submitting false docu- Councilman Torres said he is unclear. Of those 34 sold off part of his real es-
such documents to third ments to the city's De- would make a criminal re- buildings, only the three tate holdings as required
parties and they are re- partment of Buildings for ferral if he uncovered evi- in Queens and a fourth in under government ethics
viewed by independent construction permits is a dence of criminal wrong- Brooklyn appear to have rules. But he retained stakes
counsel. "If mistakes or misdemeanor, which can doing. been sold. The company in many properties, includ-
typographical errors are carry fines of up to $25,000. Housing Rights Initiative also likely made money ing Westminster Manage-
identified, corrective ac- But real estate experts say found the Kushner Cos. filed by reducing the number ment, the Kushner Cos.
tion is taken immediately it is often flouted with little dozens of amended forms of rent-regulated tenants subsidiary that oversees its
with no financial benefit to to no consequences. Land- for the buildings mentioned and bringing in those who residential properties. A fi-
the company," the news re- lords who do so get off with in the documents, most of would pay more. nancial disclosure last year
lease said. no more than a demand them a year to two later. Jared Kushner, who showed he still owns a stake
Nearly all the permit appli- from the city, sometimes a Exactly how much money stepped down as CEO of in Westminster and earned
cations were signed by a year or more later, to file an the Kushner Cos. earned the Kushner Cos. last year $1.6 million from it.q
Romney seeks Marriott post he can't hold as a US Senator

By MICHELLE L. PRICE date and former Republi- in Utah, is expected to win riott family, has served on father. Marriott's full name
Associated Press can presidential candidate the race to replace retiring Marriott's board off-and-on was John Willard Marriott.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mitt is one of 14 members of Sen. Orrin Hatch. since 1993. If Romney stayed on the
Romney is running for re- Marriott's board running for Romney's spokeswoman He resigned from the board board, the now 71-year-
election to Marriott Inter- another yearlong term, ac- MJ Henshaw said Monday in 2002 to campaign for old would run up next year
national's board of direc- cording to the hotel chain's that Romney would com- Massachusetts governor. against the company's
tors, but his campaign said filings with the U.S. Securities ply with U.S. Senate rules He later rejoined the board mandatory retirement for
Monday that he'll resign and Exchange Commission and resign from the Marri- in 2009 but left again in board members at age 72.
from that post if elected in on Friday. ott board if elected in No- 2011 to start his campaign The company's SEC filings
November to the U.S. Sen- The board members will be vember. for U.S. president. show Romney was paid
ate, which bars senators up for re-election at the Marriott spokeswoman Romney, whose full name $247,299 in 2016 in cash,
from serving as an officer corporation's annual stock- Connie Kim declined to is Willard Mitt Romney, stocks and other compen-
or board member of any holder meeting on May 4. comment. was named after Marri- sation. The filings were first
publicly-held company. The Republican, who is Romney, who has long- ott founder J.W. Marriott, reported by Bloomberg on
The Utah Senate candi- well-known and popular standing ties to the Mar- a close friend of Romney's Friday. q