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A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 20 March 2019

NYC official: Kushner firm flouted rules, endangered tenants

By BERNARD CONDON $210,000 by city regulators
AP Business Writer last year after an Associat-
NEW YORK (AP) — A New ed Press report found that
York City councilman ac- the company had submit-
cused the Kushner fam- ted paperwork to regula-
ily real estate company on tors that claimed it had no
Tuesday of putting tenants low-paying, rent-stabilized
in danger by allowing sev- tenants in dozens of its
eral of its buildings to avoid buildings when it, in fact,
safety inspections. had hundreds. The false
New York Oversight Com- paperwork allowed the
mittee Chair Ritchie Tor- company to avoid inspec-
res said his investigation tions and other scrutiny dur-
showed that the firm once ing construction work that
run by President Donald critics have said are often
Trump’s son-in-law, Jared used by landlords to chase
Kushner, has been renting low-paying renters out.
apartments to hundreds The Kushner Cos. has said
of tenants in nine buildings that the paperwork was
with certificates of occu- handled by another firm
pancy that expired months and mistakes were correct-
or years ago. Torres also ed when they came to its
said that the company has This Aug. 31, 2018 file photo shows Kushner family real estate firm-owned buildings 333, center, notice.
been trying to push low- and 335 East 9th Street in the East Village neighborhood of New York. The Wall Street Journal on
paying tenants out of its Associated Press Tuesday reported that the
buildings and didn’t want “The goal here is a con- headquarters at 666 Fifth its previous owners. Cer- Kushners have hired a bro-
the regulatory scrutiny that certed campaign to Avenue. “The company is tificates for two of the nine ker to sell five apartment
comes with inspections re- evade scrutiny,” said Tor- engaged in what I call the buildings expired while Jar- buildings in the East Village
quired to renew the certifi- res at a news conference weaponization of construc- ed Kushner was CEO. as their company comes
cates. outside the Kushner Cos. tion — the use of construc- “Similar to many other land- under public and media
tion as a weapon for ha- lords, we inherited from scrutiny. It is not clear if
rassing tenants out of their prior owners certificates of those are among the nine
apartments.” occupancy with various is- buildings with expired cer-
But a city regulator that sues,” it said in an email. tificates of occupancy.
oversees landlords called “Kushner will continue the Jared Kushner stepped
the expired certificates long and detailed process down as the head of his
cited by Torres and tenant to work with our consultants family firm two years ago to
watchdog group, Housing and the Department of become a White House ad-
Rights Initiative, “paper- Buildings to correct every viser. He still owns stake in
work lapses” and blasted issue outstanding.” Westminster Management,
the findings as “pure grand- The city requires a certifi- the Kushner Cos. subsidiary
standing.” cate of occupancy when- that oversees its residential
Our “top priority is safety ever significant renovation properties. A financial dis-
— and indeed, we have is done such as changing closure filed with federal
inspected all these build- the layout of a building or ethics regulators shows he
ings or renovated units of its fire exits. Most of the earned $1.5 million from
and deemed them safe nine Kushner buildings cit- the holding last year.
to occupy,” said Buildings ed are in the East Village At Tuesday’s news confer-
Department spokesman section of Manhattan and ence, the head of Housing
Andrew Rudansky in an appear from city records to Rights Initiative said that
emailed statement. have undergone substan- many landlords, not just the
The Kushner Cos. said that tial renovation and faced Kushners, were flouting the
the problems with the cer- several violations. rules and regulators need
tificates stretch back to The Kushner Cos. was fined to crack down.q