By; Logan Seaspon
Some big-time real estate pros are donating some big-time money in advance of the upcoming elections.
According to therealdeal.com, Federal Election Commission documents reveal that real estate executives and developers are shelling out plenty to the parties and candidates of their choice in an effort to influence the outcome.
Information posted on the FEC’s website shows political contributions filed in advance of July 5. Number one on the list is Los Angeles developer Geoffrey Palmer of G.H. Palmer Associates, who gave $106,500 to the Republican National Committee.
“Palmer is one of President Trump’s biggest donors and previously gave millions to Rebuilding America Now, a political action group founded to support Trump’s 2016 campaign,” therealdeal.com reported. “Earlier this year, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Palmer’s company, accusing it of illegally keeping thousands of security deposits from tenants. TRD reported that more than two dozen tenants had previously sued Palmer for unwarranted charges. Palmer could not be reached for comment.”
Next on the list is Florida developer Murray Goodman, who kicked in $58,900 for the RNC. Blackstone Group president and COO Jonathan Gray donated $35,500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the real estate news site reported. Newmark Knight Frank and GFP Real Estate’s Jeffrey Gural donated $35,500 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, FEC filings show. The Beekman International Center’s chairman Dennis Herman sent the same amount to the RNC.
“In Chicago, real estate investor Harry Langer made six donations of $2,800 each to the Club for Growth, a fiscally conservative political action group,” Real Deal added.
In these highly charged political times, it doesn’t take much for donations to stir controversy. Home Depot cofounder Bernie Marcus gave a bunch of money to President Donald Trump a couple of weeks ago, and it kicked off a protest.
“The billionaire sparked an online backlash when he recently told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he planned to donate to the president’s 2020 reelection bid,” reported Business Insider. “Marcus said that while he didn’t “agree with every move” Trump had made, the president had still “produced more than anybody else.” He added: “If we look at this country, I would say that we are better off today than we were eight years ago or six years ago.”
New York Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer said he would send the more than $7,000 in campaign contributions he received from accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to anti-sex trafficking and anti-violence against women groups.
“While these campaign accounts closed about 20 years ago, and even then the campaign never controlled the two political action committees (PACs), Senator Schumer is donating an equal sum to anti-sex trafficking and anti-violence against women groups,” Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman said in a statement to NBC News.
