The city’s top lobbyists agreed to a $ 5,000 deal with a nonprofit group created to promote Mayor Bill de Blasio’s agenda, keeping an eye on the state’s ethics.
The Joint Policy Commission announced on Tuesday by the Public Ethics Commission that Suri Kashir assisted in raising funds for the fund, as the mayor personally called for the DeBalasio-tied campaign for One New York to help raise funds for the group Assisted in raising funds for
De Blasio’s team created Not-for-Profit Coney after the 2013 election to promote its former policy-making programs, such as the universal pre-kindergarten program. But critics took it as the mayor’s condemnation fund.
It was formed by campaign partners Bill Heyers, Stephanie Yeezy and Ross Offinger. Offinger, who served as a fundraiser for the mayor’s campaign, became the treasurer and chief fundraiser of the CONY.
CONY was shut down in 2016 by federal and state pay-to-play investigations into allegations that the mayor’s team was killing donors with business ahead of the city.
No charges were leveled against the mayor, but he and his team continue to decline to raise money for the group. The investigation is ongoing, a JCOPE spokesperson said.
Prosecutors, not exposing the crimes by city hall, criticized de Blasio’s fundraising practices.
“This conclusion is not an endorsement of conduct on the issue; In fact, the transaction is contrary to the intentions and intentions that enforce the extent of the candidate’s contribution, ”Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. said at the time.
The Lobbying Act prohibits lobbyists and their clients from making gifts to a public official, including gifts to third parties at the behest or on behalf of a public official. JCOPE investigated whether a donation by the city’s first businesses to CONY was a gift to the mayor.
After speaking with de Blasio, Kashir spoke with other employees of the company about the mayor’s request. Workers at his firm contacted two of his clients, resulting in donations of $ 5,000 and $ 10,000 to De Blasio’s Connie.
“Kasierer, LLC acknowledges that the Lobbying Act prohibits a lobbying with business before the state or city to give or give a gift to a public official, unless the circumstances are such that it is not reasonable to infer that The gift was to impress them. ” public official. The company was fully cooperating with the commission.
“I am happy to have this case behind me,” Kashir said on Tuesday.
She declined to comment further.
Kashir is just the latest power player to enter into a financial settlement agreement to end an ethics investigation with the de Blessacio group.
Lobbyist James Capalino, ranked second after Kasir, paid $ 40,000 with JCOPE in 2018, after donating $ 10,000 to CONY and raising another $ 90,000 from clients for de Blasio’s group.
The animal rights group New Yorkers for Clean, Liveable, and Safe Streets (“NYCLASS”), its co-founder and president Steven Nislyk, and board member Wendy New also entered financial settlements with JCOPE.
Three real estate and development firms – Douglaston Development, Brookfield Financial Properties and Toll Brothers also agreed to financial settlements with JCOPE after donating to CONY.
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