Laurie Supports Real Estate Lobbyist, Musa Moore, who Lobbies her!

Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo Gave Rational for how Musa Moore may remain as Chairman of CB9.

During the City Council Debate on Saturday July 15, 2017, the candidates were asked about their position regarding the fact that Community Board 9 “CB9” in Brooklyn has a Real Estate Lobbyist, Musa Moore, as its Chairman, despite the fact it is the primary job of CB9 to decide land use issues.

 

Ede Fox and Jabari Brisport candidates for Lauries's seat both stated clearly that it was a Conflict Of Interest and he needs to be removed. *See below other elected officials and candidates position on this issue.

Councilwoman Laurie however, supported the position of how Musa Moore might actually remain as chairman of the board, if he is willing to disclose any projects that he is promoting or voting on.

She stated the Real Estate Lobbyist needs to "put forward who all their clients are......either need to terminate themselves, resign or in that instance (CB9) let the people know these are the projects that I [Musa Moore] have before me". She further qualified if it is projects or programs that are situated in their district and they continue to vote on or promote, that would be the reason for removal.

In other words as long as Musa discloses what projects he is working on and that they are not in his district nor will he be voting on them, he can stay on as Chairman of CB9.

 

Musa Moore Positioning His Employer to Benefit from a Rezoning!

Of course the obvious problem is that Musa Moore, chairman of CB9, can help to set in motion actions which later will benefit his Real Estate companies and be long gone before he will have to formally vote on the matter.

 

For example, Musa Moore, while chairman of CB9 in winter of 2017, helped to support a *Fennimore rezoning application in which CB9 is the lead applicant. The first meeting with the Department of City Planning  “DCP”, both him and his fellow lobbyist Jacob Guttman, who both work for Riverside Developers USA, attended this meeting.


Why Real Estate Developers Interested In Downzoning?

Why would two Real Estate Lobbyists be present at a small intimate meeting for the down-zoning of half a block?  Simple. Because CB9 is the lead applicant, the parameters and intention of the rezoning could be changed, while in the hands of DCP. CB9 could extend the boundaries and do a “trade off" to support the Fennimore down-zoning by giving up another part of the community for up-zoning, i.e. Empire Blvd.

 

Thus Musa was positioning his company to benefit from this deal if it went **forward. Legally there would be nothing that anyone could do. DCP would have the necessary cover of saying this was a deal that CB9 agreed to but the community wouldn’t know about it until it was too late (DCP doesn’t have to disclose their negotiations or determinations until they are certified - two years later). By that time CB9 would be advisory and would not be able stop this rezoning just like the Armory deal and at the same time Musa would be long gone!  With money in his pocket!

 

Musa Moore’s Behavior a violation of the Conflict of Interest Laws!

Is Musa’s behavior illegal according to the Conflict of Interest laws? Yes! No person may use their position on the Community Board to contribute, support, or encourage actions which would benefit themselves or their employers. There is no time line on the benefits! So setting up something now that will materialize later still is covered under the law.

Chairman Musa Moore Lobbies Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo

What Laurie also failed to mention is that Musa Moore’s Lobbyist’s company Riverside Developers has a whole host of real estate interests in Community Districts that she covers; CB8 and CB3.  And Musa can and may have already lobbied her for these properties, for he lobbies City Council people on real estate deals! This is why she’s supporting him continuing as the Chairman. Talk about a Conflict Of Interest!

Riverside Developers Real Estate Interest in Laurie's Community Board Districts

Below are the LLC’s that are associated with Riverside Developers, a lot of them right within Laurie Cumbo’s District!

Marcy Hart LLC, Franklin Bedford LLC ,Bedford Unique LLC, Empire Management, Construction LLC, Riverside Developers Usa Inc., 51 Montrose Avenue Realty LLC, Wythe Berry LLC, Kfi Enterprises LLC , Lotus Residences LLC, White Icon LLC, Albo Liberis LLC, 334 Lorimer LLC, Espresso Hospitality Management LLC. The William Vale Fnb LLC, North 12 Parking LLC, and 577 Flushing Condos, LLC.


Riverside Developers USA are also involved in a current rezoning application in Laurie’s Community Board District.

 

Riverside Developers were successful in getting a rezoning in Community Board 3 in Brooklyn, after a ***controversial vote was taken the first time around.   Laurie also covers CB3, despite the fact that the property address is in Councilman’s Levine’s district, who is the same person that got fined with Laurie Cumbo for taking illegal contributions from Developers!

 

So there you have it!  Laurie gets money from the real estate industry, gets the chairman of CB9 to lobby her for deals in her district and in return she provides a cover for the real estate lobbyist to remain in power.
YOU Can Not Make This UP!

 

MTOPP's Actions

Alicia Boyd filed a Conflict of Interest complaint with New York City Department of Investigations. However, we are not stupid enough to believe that people who are appointed by de Blasio are not influenced by this very pro-development political agenda of his. This could mean that they do nothing, which has been their behavior so far, when it has come to very blatant Conflict of Interest Issues at the Community Board level.

 

If Musa Moore is not removed from CB9 along with his baby's mother, also know as his common-in law wife off of the Executive Board of CB9 we will file another lawsuit, demanding that the Courts intervene on our behalf.

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*Other Candidates Position on Musa Moore being a chairman of Community Board and a Real Estate Lobbyist, who lobbies City Council people on Real Estate Deals.

  1. Ede Fox - Candidate for 35 City Council District - "It is a Conflict of Interest"
  2. Jabari Brisport - Candidate for 35 Council District, Green Party "It is a Conflict of Interest."
  3. Brian Cunningham - Candidate for 40 City Counils District - "It is a Conflict Of Interest".
  4. Interium District Attorny Gonzalaz - "It appears to be a Conflict Of Interest".
  5. Pia Raymond Candidate for the 40 City Council District and member of CB9- "I have to check with CB9" (I didn't know that CB9 was the prevailing authorithy on Conflict of Interest issues)
  6. Musa Moore Chairman of CB9 - "My company doesn't have any property in CB9, so I don't see a Conflict of Interest." (Sounds like him and Laurie have been speaking!!!)

 

**MTOPP placed a motion to the court to challenge the Fennimore application, because it was presented at the time of the vote to the community or the board members. Judge Siatte, after hearing the case, made the commitment to null and void the application, if proven that the Open Meetings Law "OML" was violated.

 

Note: The Open Meeting Law: All applications and documents that are voted upon are required to be presented to the public at the time of the vote. In the case of the Fennimore application this never happened. Thus allowing CB9 board members to actually manipulate the intentions of the application once it is in DCP's hands.

 

***According to the article the vote was 18 in favor 17 against and 2 abstentions. Legally this project was voted down, because in order for anything to pass it must have the majority of the votes (50% plus 1), 19 in favor. That means this motion failed! But as always there is corruption, arm twisting and promises that will never be met, and local council members support to get these projects approved.