Councilmember Gjonaj spent over $20K in taxpayer funds on contractors tied to campaign donors

City Councilmember Mark Gjonaj spent $22,800 of Council money on firms linked with donors to his campaign during his first seven months on the job.

The total includes $9,700 that his office spent at All Pro Design & Construction Corp., which has the same Bronx address as MP Realty Group Corp., where Gjonaj is listed as owner and president, according to POLITICO. Both firms are based at 970 Morris Park Avenue.

The CEO registered at All Pro donated $2,000 to Friends of Mark Gjonaj in January 2017. Gjonaj also spent $5,200 on campaign donor Clarke and Son Signs, $3,900 on Sound Design Alarm Inc. and $3,000 on Continental Construction & Painting.

This is Gjonaj’s first term as a Councilmember. He previously served in the State Assembly, and an analysis from The Real Deal last August found that Gjonaj had accepted almost $100,000 from the real estate industry in his City Council race, vastly outpacing other candidates in the race.

GJonaj spokesman Reginald Johnson told POLITICO that the payment to All Pro was for work they did on renovations to his district office.

“As someone that worked in the industry, the Councilman has the benefit of knowing vendors that do great work at fair prices,” he said. “So, he’s certainly not going to peruse Angie’s List or the PennySaver to find a random contractor whose work he’s not familiar with.” [POLITICO] – Eddie Small