‘Borrowed’ time
Councilman turned to pals to pay rent, bills
MANHATTAN Councilman Corey Johnson has been earning a six-figure salary as an elected official but he still piled up debts with his former landlord and an exstate senator, city records show.
Johnson, who was accused last year of having a former campaign volunteer pay his rent, owed $7,500 to Alan J. Gomez, the landlord of his studio apartment in Chelsea.
The debt was for back rent accrued in 2013.
Johnson — a Democrat who after his reelection Tuesday is a leading contender to be City Council speaker — has earned $148,500 a year since 2016. He only paid back the money to Gomez last year.
Gomez, who could not be reached for comment, also donated $175 to Johnson in 2013.
Johnson’s campaign said Gomez was his friend who helped him with rent while he was running for office and didn’t have a steady income stream. City candidates can’t use campaign funds to pay themselves a salary or cover personal expenses like residential rent.
Johnson, who represents the West Side, recorded the debt in his latest filing with the city’s Conflict of Interest Board. The paperwork also shows Johnson’s pal, former state Sen. Tom Duane, lent him between $5,000 and $47,999.
Duane made the loan late last year — a period when two city agencies were looking into allegations that Johnson accepted money from a campaign volunteer.
The campaign said the loan was for a personal matter and unrelated to the probes. It declined to say the exact amount.
Johnson’s filing said he was paying back the personal loan in monthly installments.
Duane did not respond to a request for comment.
Johnson said in a statement that he had a hardscrabble upbringing and has “struggled under the weight of mounting bills and personal debt.”
“When I was elected to office, I swore to work every day on behalf of the people of my district, so instead of taking outside income to pay off my bills, I turned to two close friends to get me through this difficult time,” he said.
“This experience has given me a unique perspective to fight for many others who, just like me, are struggling through the affordability crisis that plagues our city.”
The Daily Monday that News reported Johnson’s campaign paid $5,000 to a criminal lawyer in November 2016 to represent his former campaign manager R.J. Jordan in two city probes.
The city’s Department of Investigation and Campaign Finance Board looked into allegations that a 2013 volunteer paid for Johnson’s clothes, rent and food — and covered the cost of a medical procedure.
Jordan’s lawyer, Alan Abramson, said both probes ended with no action being taken against Johnson or Jordan.