Un-real estate hypocrisy
Albany hopeful hit foe on gifts but took $ from Airbnb slumlord
ALBANY — An Assembly candidate from Queens running on a “housing-for-all” platform accepted hundreds of dollars in campaign contributions from an accused Airbnb scammer.
Zohran Mamdani, a housing counselor running with the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America, is aiming to unseat incumbent Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (DAstoria). A central promise of Mamdani’s progressive campaign is his pledge to shun real estate money, something he has accused his rival of doing.
However, campaign finance records revealed the political upstart had accepted about $770 from Burak Firik, an Amazon software engineer who got into hot water in 2015 for allegedly modifying and renting out converted apartments in Queens.
Firik and another man were accused of dividing up two-and three-bedroom apartments in Elmhurst and Sunnyside into six- and 10-bedroom units without their landlords’ consent. The pair then allegedly raked in money by listing the mini-hostels on Airbnb, according to reports at the time.
When one landlord found out what the pair had allegedly done, he dismantled the unauthorized renovations, but said Firik and his partner continued to rent out tiny bedrooms separated by curtains to tourists. Another landlord successfully sued the pair, according to WPIX.
One man who rented a room from the two accused Firik of allegedly threatening him with violence if he didn’t vacate one of the converted apartments, WPIX reported.
“He was threatening me,” the renter told the television station. “He was gonna have gang people come to my house to either rob me or attack me.”
Since January, Firik made six contributions to Mamdani (inadvocates set left) totaling roughly $770.
When asked about the donations, Mamdani campaign officials touted the candidate’s small-dollar donations and gave the amount from Firik to charity.
“We try to vet all of our donors as thoroughly as possible, but unfortunately, this one slipped through the cracks,” a representative said. “We thank the Daily News for calling our attention to this, and we’ve made a donation in the amount of $777 to the Cooper Square Committee, one of the leading against illegal hotels in New York City.”
Housing advocates and hotel unions are not fans of shortterm rentals such as those available from companies such as Airbnb. Opponents often raise questions about the potential negative impacts on housing costs and availability as well as quality of life concerns in residential neighborhoods.
Mamdani, a foreclosure prevention counselor who has the backing of prominent progressives including former Queens district attorney candidate Tiffany Caban and state Sen.
Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn), has made housing a central issue of his campaign.
He has accused Simotas (inset right) of breaking her own vow to not take any funds from the real estate industry, pointing out in social media posts that his opponent accepted roughly $10,000 from George Tsunis, a Queens developer, and $1,000 from Irene Feggoudakis, whose relatives own residential buildings in the borough.
Simotas says she has known Tsunis and Feggoudakis for years.
Mamdani says Simotas hasn’t done enough to keep the neighborhood affordable for working-class New Yorkers, yet the pair share similar progressive policy platforms, including tenant protections, raising taxes on the wealthy and canceling rent for those impacted by the coronavirus crisis.
Simotas declined to comment on her challenger accepting money from Firik.