Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso accepts funds from real estate interests despite previous commitments to avoid such donations.
In a developing story concerning Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso’s reelection campaign, new revelations indicate that the candidate has accepted significant contributions from the real estate sector, despite previously committing to avoid funding from this industry. A review by Media News Source of city campaign finance records highlights that Reynoso’s campaign has garnered nearly ,000 in donations from over a dozen individuals linked to real estate, translating to more than ,000 when public matching funds are included.
The topic surfaced prominently during the recent primary debate where Khari Edwards, Reynoso’s Democratic opponent, challenged him on this apparent contradiction. Edwards pointed out that the contributions came from “luxury developers,” in direct violation of Reynoso’s stated promises during his 2021 campaign. Reynoso retorted, dismissing Edwards’ concerns as “nonsense” and reaffirming his stance that he does not accept funding from developers.
Notably, among the campaign’s contributors is Mitchell Hochberg, President of the Lightstone Group, who donated ,000 on September 27, 2024. Such transactions raised eyebrows as Hochberg is listed in the city’s Doing Business database, which limits contributions from individuals engaged with city contracts to a maximum of 0. Following the exposure of this breach, Reynoso’s campaign returned 0 of Hochberg’s donation, although there was a delay of several months in processing this refund, potentially exposing Reynoso to penalties from the Campaign Finance Board.
Additional donations include a ,600 contribution from Zev Friedman, Chief Financial Officer of Bonjour Capital. Reynoso’s campaign manager, Ben Hoffman, acknowledged that some donations from real estate players conflicted with Reynoso’s prior commitments. He confirmed that two donations amounting to ,960 had been refunded, yet did not clarify whether additional amounts would also be returned.
Hoffman attempted to differentiate between various contributors, arguing that some donations were from individuals classified as landlords, property managers, and brokers, which Reynoso considered as not falling under his promise to refuse funding from developers.
The political landscape continues to unfold as Edwards, campaigning for the Democratic primary on June 24, accuses Reynoso of dishonesty regarding his funding sources. Baldwin’s fundraising has been notable, with Reynoso reporting 1,891 in campaign funds compared to Edwards’ 9,148. This situation continues to raise questions surrounding campaign finance ethics as the primary election approaches.
