NYC lobbyists hit $131M jackpot as they push for casinos, pro soccer field

Metro

By Carl Campanile

New York lobbyists have hit the jackpot along a push to open casinos within the Big Apple — raking in bundles as they attempt to woo Mayor Eric Adams and council individuals, a new city report unearths.

Compensation for lobbyists shot up 8% ultimate 12 months — up from $121.15 million in 2022 to $130.96 million, in keeping with the once a year find out about ready by way of the City Clerk’s Office, which regulates the lobbying business.

Entities tied to Mets billionaire proprietor Steve Cohen and Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment led the price — spending greater than $2 million blended on a solid of lobbyists ultimate 12 months as they unveiled a sprawling $8 billion on line casino, resort and song venue dubbed “Metropolitan Park” of vacant loads subsequent to CitiField.

The Cohen firms — New Green Willets and Queens Future — spent $946,809 and $450,000 respectively, or just about $1.4 million blended, in keeping with the document.

His companies retained seven other lobbying outfits together with:

• former Bronx Democratic Party chairman Marco Crespo;
• former Queens Councilman Julissa Ferrera-Copeland/Hollis Public Affairs;
• the Mirram Group, headed by way of former Bronx Democratic chief Roberto Ramirez and Luis Miranda — the daddy of playwright Lin Manuel-Miranda;
• Moonwalk Strategies, co-founded by way of Jenny Sedlis, who prior to now ran a pro-Eric Adams Super Pac and pro-charter faculty crew, and the Tusk Group headed Bradley Tusk, who labored for former Mayor Mike Bloomberg. 

Seminole Hard Rock, Cohen’s gaming spouse, spent $660,000 on lobbying for the undertaking — with $540,000 going to the lobbyists with the company Actum Ca Opc and Green Book Strategies, run by way of husband-wife duo, Austin and Jennifer Shafran.

Meanwhile in a undertaking subsequent door to Cohen’s proposed undertaking, CFG Stadium Group spent $540,000 to win approval to construct the Big Apple’s first ever soccer stadium in Willets Point for the York City Football Club. 

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards joked that he’s turn into standard given the lobbying on financial building projection in Queens, specifically at Willets Point with the on line casino proposal and soccer stadium deal.

“I certainly have no shortage of meetings,” Richards mentioned, whilst crediting the lobbyists for each initiatives for take group wishes into consideration.

Other on line casino companies are lobbying hanging chips at the desk too. Wynn Resorts, angling to open a on line casino in Hudson Yards, spent $314,000 on lobbying, in keeping with the knowledge.

MGM Resorts, which is looking for to transform its slots parlor at Yonkers Raceway right into a complete on line casino with desk video games, spent $300,000 on lobbying as did Genting Resorts World at Aqueduct, additionally searching for to supply desk video games as neatly as slots.

Bally’s — which took over the Trump Organization’s Ferry Point golfing route in The Bronx and is eying a on line casino at the grounds — paid $285,000 in retainersm tge information display. Caesar’s Palace, pushing to open a on line casino in Times Square, paid $185,000 in lobbying charges, in keeping with the document.

The crew subsidized by way of actual property pursuits — Homeowners for an Affordable New York — gave the most important unmarried retainer to a lobbyist — $1.143 million to Fontas Advisors, headed by way of George Fontas, in keeping with the knowledge. The crew’s funders come with the Real Estate Board of NY and Rent Stabilization Association.

Fontas lobbied the mayor’s place of job to oppose state law that will make it more difficult for landlords to evict tenants “without good cause”, in keeping with lobbying information.

The actual property business accounted for one-third of lobbying spending ultimate 12 months — by way of a ways the most important of any sector, the figures display.

The very best compensated lobbyist for the 7th consecutive 12 months used to be Suri Kasirer’s company, Kasirer LLC, with $16.8 million, in keeping with the knowledge.

Kasirer’s consumer Stony Brook University gained the aggressive town bid to run the $700 milion “New York Climate Exchange” lab on Governors Island, which she thought to be probably the most 12 months’s highlights.

Among the opposite most sensible lobbying ventures, in keeping with the figures:

• Cable massive Charter Communications — which owns Spectrum and native news channel NY1 — spent $775,000 on lobbying to trace problems such as broadband get entry to.
• The NYS Trial Lawyers spent $714,876.
• MSG Entertainment spent $594,742 as it secured a 5-year extension of its particular allow to perform Madison Square at Penn Station.
• Vornado Realty spent $544,557 whilst redeveloping Pier 94 at the West Side into a movie and TV studio campus.
• RAI Service Company/Reynolds American tobacco corporate spent $527,835 as it effectively fought to dam law to prohibit menthol cigarettes.
• Northwell Health spent $512,109 whilst searching for to modernize  and enlarge its Lenox Hill clinic on Manhattan’s East Side.