NYC official: Kushner firm flouted rules, endangered tenants

A New York City councilman accused the Kushner family real estate company on Tuesday of putting tenants in danger by allowing several of its buildings to avoid safety inspections.

New York Oversight Committee Chair Ritchie Torres said his investigation showed that the firm once run by President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been renting apartments to hundreds of tenants in nine buildings with certificates of occupancy that expired months or years ago. Torres also said that the company has been trying to push low-paying tenants out of its buildings and didn't want the regulatory scrutiny that comes with inspections required to renew the certificates.

"The goal here is a concerted campaign to evade scrutiny," said Torres at a news conference outside the Kushner Cos. headquarters at 666 Fifth Avenue. "The company is engaged in what I call the weaponization of construction the use of construction as a weapon for harassing tenants out of their apartments."
"Similar to many other landlords, we inherited from prior owners certificates of occupancy with various issues," it said in an email. "Kushner will continue the long and detailed process to work with our consultants and the Department of Buildings to correct every issue outstanding."