Mayor Bill de Blasio’s political fundraising tactics are facing an ethics probe as real estate developers will have to pay fines for donating to de Blasio’s non-profit while seeking contracts with his administration, Politico reports.
De Blasio’s Campaign for One New York received donations from Greenpoint Landing Developers, Brookfield Financial Properties and Toll Brothers in 2015 while the developers lobbied his administration. The state Joint Commission on Public Ethics announced on Thursday that the developers will pay a $65,000 fine for breaking state laws, Politico reports:
The companies donated to Campaign for One New York, a fundraising organization de Blasio set up shortly after winning the mayoralty in 2013. He hired his campaign aides to run the entity, which pushed his agenda — namely expanding pre-kindergarten to all 4-year-olds — on a budget fueled by contributions that circumvented electoral campaign donation limits.
Brookfield Financial Properties — which gave Campaign for One New York $50,000 on May 22, 2015 while it was also lobbying the city — agreed to pay $30,000. “Evidence indicates that the donation was made subsequent to a recommendation made by or on behalf of the mayor to an executive associated with” Brookfield, the commission determined.
Toll Brothers and a subsidiary agreed to pay $15,000. The company was lobbying the city at the time it gave $25,000 after a personal request from de Blasio in March of 2015, according to the commission.
Greenpoint Landing Developers, a company affiliated with Park Tower Group, also was lobbying the city at the time an executive donated $50,000 to the Campaign for One New York at the request of a mayoral fundraiser. The company agreed to pay $20,000.
De Blasio’s non-profit shutdown in 2016 following the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigation, and the state ethics probe is ongoing, Politico reports.