On Wednesday, New York City's Department of Buildings launched investigations at 13 buildings owned by Kushner Cos., looking for possible "illegal activity" involving apparently falsified permits claiming those properties had no rent-controlled tenants when in fact they had hundreds. The more than 80 permit applications were signed when Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, was CEO of the family company, The Associated Press reported Sunday. Kushner did not sign any of the permits himself, but company employees did, including its chief operating officer.
If Kushner Cos. had correctly listed the number of rent-controlled tenants, construction at those properties would have been scrutinized for possible attempts to harass tenants into leaving the building, allowing the property company to raise rents. And at many of the properties, that's what appears to have happened, AP says, citing documents uncovered by the watchdog group Housing Rights Initiative. Kushner Cos. said Wednesday that it operates under "the highest legal and ethical standards" and blamed the investigation on "politically motivated attacks."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
A Man on the Inside: Netflix comedy leaves you with a 'warm fuzzy feeling'The Week Recommends Charming series has a 'tenderness' that will 'sneak up' on you
-
Bread & Roses: an 'extraordinarily courageous' documentaryThe Week Recommends Sahra Mani's 'powerful' film examines the lives of three Afghan women under the Taliban
-
V13: a 'marvelous and terrifying' account of the Bataclan terror trialsThe Week Recommends Emmanuel Carrère's work is 'absolutely gripping'
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraudSpeed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strikeSpeed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
-
US economy still strong in final preelection reportSpeed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strikeSpeed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strikeSpeed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homesSpeed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bidSpeed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
