Former EDC interim president fined after illegal lobbying for rail yards

From left: Joshua Sirefman and the Hudson Yards

Joshua Sirefman, former interim president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, was fined $1,500 by the Conflict of Interest Board after he helped his private sector employer bid for a city contract to develop the West Side rail yards. A month after he resigned as interim president of EDC, Sirefman was hired as senior vice president of Brookfield Properties, a large commercial real estate firm that was bidding on a Metropolitan Transportation Authority contract to develop the West Side rail yards. However, the city’s charter prohibits a public employee from appearing before a city agency for a year from the date of the employee’s resignation. During an October 2007 meeting, Sirefman directly lobbied the Hudson Yards Development Corporation on behalf of Brookfield to develop the West Side rail yards, despite specific instructions from the city to not communicate with the Hudson Yards agency for one year. [Village Voice]