New York Daily News

Jumaane wrote off $3G for haircuts

- BY JILLIAN JORGENSEN, KERRY BURKE AND JANON FISHER

City Councilman Jumaane Williams likes to look like a million bucks — but he doesn’t want to pay a million dollars in taxes on his looks.

Williams (inset), who’s vying to unseat Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul in an upcoming Democratic primary, released five years of taxes on Wednesday, showing he wrote off more than $3,000 for haircuts and grooming last year.

His campaign spokesman William Gerlich justified the expense, saying that the category includes tailoring, laundry and dry cleaning.

Williams’ returns show a shaky financial picture, but his money trouble has been out there before, and little in the documentat­ion provides much new informatio­n.

From 2014 though 2017 he cleared more that $118,000, with his best year coming in 2016 when he brought home $135,866.

He’s reported to owe more than $600,000 the foreclosur­e of his rental property. In 2006, his Park Slope vegan restaurant that went under, but Williams’ campaign did not provide any documentat­ion on his losses and debts.

Williams struggles to rent out out his rental property. From 2013 to 2015 he earned less than $5,000 on the property.

In 2016, his best year, he made $31,800 in rent, according to the returns, but the next year he earned less than half that.

“It’s legitimate to ask about a person’s personal finances to determine if they have a conflict of interest, but it’s offensive to say that someone is unqualifie­d for office simply because of their debt,” Gerlich said. “With a majority of New Yorkers struggling with financial problems, we need more elected officials who know what it’s like to deal with these issues, not less.”

Williams does come off better than Mayor de Blasio when it comes to charitable gifts. The skinflint mayor only gave $350 in 2017, but Williams ponied up $6,674, most of it to St. Paul’s Community Baptist Church.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States