Family and business affiliates of a developer who received a $3.5 million city grant in 2014 donated $55,000 to Bill de Blasio’s re-election campaign last month.
Several members of the Rusi family made donations between July 6 and July 11. Sal Rusi, who didn’t donate any money, is the CEO of Salmar Properties, the New York Post reported. The firm owns the 1.1 million-square-foot Manufacturing Complex Liberty View Industrial Plaza in Sunset Park, for which it received a $3.5 million grant from the Economic Development Corporation in December 2014.
One of the donors, Sal Rusi’s son Selim, donated $4,950 even though he was barred from giving that amount because he does business with the city. A spokesperson for the New York City Campaign Finance Board told the Post that it asked the de Blasio campaign to return most Selim Rusi’s donated money.
A spokesperson for de Blasio’s campaign claimed “to draw a connection with a grant awarded almost two years ago is beyond absurd.”
Three relatives of Marvin Schein, who co-owns Salmar, also donated $4,950 each between July 6 and 11. [NYP] – Konrad Putzier