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U.S. NEWSMonday 19 March 2018
AP Exclusive: Kushner Cos. filed false NYC housing paperwork
By BERNARD CONDON This photo shows apartment buildings in the Astoria section of Queens, N.Y. The Kushner Cos. rou- rent-regulated tenants. In-
NEW YORK (AP) — When tinely filed false paperwork with the city declaring it had zero rent-regulated tenants in dozens of stead, tax documents show
the Kushner Cos. bought buildings it owned across the city, including these, when it, in fact, had many of them. there were more than 300
three apartment buildings rent-regulated units. Nearly
in a gentrifying neighbor- (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) all the permit applications
hood of Queens in 2015, were signed by a Kushner
most of the tenants were a tenants' rights watchdog by independent counsel, construction permit appli- employee, including some-
protected by special rules that compiled the work per- and "if mistakes or viola- cations in 2015 that indicat- times the chief operating
that prevent developers mit application documents tions are identified, correc- ed the buildings had zero officer. Had the Kushner
from pushing them out, rais- and shared them with The tive action is taken immedi- rent-regulated tenants. Tax Cos. disclosed those rent-
ing rents and turning a tidy Associated Press. "The fact ately." records filed a few months regulated tenants, it could
profit. that the company was "Kushner would never deny later showed the company have triggered stricter
But that's exactly what the falsifying all these applica- any tenant their due-pro- inherited as many as 94 oversight of construction
company then run by Jar- tions with the government cess rights," it said, adding rent-regulated units from crews by the city, includ-
ed Kushner did, and with shows a sordid attempt to that the company "has ren- the previous owner. ing possibly unscheduled
remarkable speed. Two avert accountability and ovated thousands of apart- In all, Housing Rights Ini- "sweeps" on site by inspec-
years later, it sold all three get a rapid return on its in- ments and developments tiative found the Kushner tors to keep the company
buildings for $60 million, vestment." with minimal complaints Cos. filed at least 80 false from harassing tenants and
nearly 50 percent more Kushner Cos. responded over the past 30 years." applications for construc- getting them to leave.
than it paid. in a statement that it out- For the three Queens build- tion permits in 34 buildings Instead, current and for-
Now a clue has emerged sources the preparation of ings in the borough's Astoria across New York City from mer tenants of the Queens
as to how President Don- such documents to third neighborhood, the Kushner 2013 to 2016, all of them buildings told the AP that
ald Trump's son-in-law's firm parties that are reviewed Cos. checked a box on indicating there were no they were subjected to ex-
was able to move so fast: tensive construction, with
The Kushner Cos. routinely banging, drilling, dust and
filed false paperwork with leaking water that they be-
the city declaring it had lieve were part of targeted
zero rent-regulated ten- harassment to get them to
ants in dozens of buildings leave and clear the way
it owned across the city for higher-paying renters.
when, in fact, it had hun- "It was noisy, there were
dreds. While none of the complaints, I got mice," said
documents during a three- mailman Rudolph Romano,
year period when Kushner adding that the Kushner
was CEO bore his personal Cos. tried to increase his
signature, they provide a rent by 60 percent, an ac-
window into the ethics of cusation the company
the business empire he ran denied. "They cleaned the
before he went on to be- place out. I watched the
come one of the most trust- whole building leave." Tax
ed advisers to the president records show those rent-
of the United States. regulated units that num-
"It's bare-faced greed," bered as many as 94 when
said Aaron Carr, founder Kushner took over fell to 25
of Housing Rights Initiative, by 2016.q
McCabe kept memos on Trump dealings
By ERIC TUCKER provided to the special and possible obstruction of They also recount different he says had declared "war"
Associated Press counsel's office and are justice. conversations he had with on the FBI and Mueller's in-
WASHINGTON (AP) — An- similar to the notes com- McCabe's memos include Comey, who kept notes on vestigation. They almost
drew McCabe, the one- piled by dismissed FBI chief details of his own interac- meetings with Trump that certainly contain, as Com-
time FBI deputy director James Comey, The Associ- tions with the president, unnerved him. ey's memos did, previously
long scorned by President ated Press has learned. according to a person Though the precise con- undisclosed details about
Donald Trump and just fired The memos could factor with direct knowledge of tents are unknown, the encounters between the
by the attorney general, into special counsel Robert the situation who wasn't memos possibly could help Trump administration and
kept personal memos de- Mueller's investigation as authorized to discuss the substantiate McCabe's as- FBI that could be of interest
tailing interactions with the his team examines Trump notes publicly and spoke sertion that he was unfairly to Mueller.
president that have been campaign ties to Russia on condition of anonymity. maligned by a White House q
