Jersey City, Kushner reach accord in political bias lawsuit

Jersey City, Kushner reach accord in political bias lawsuit

SeattlePI.com

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Jersey City has reached an agreement in a lawsuit by White House adviser Jared Kushner’s family’s company that claimed the city tried to sabotage a $900 million residential tower project out of political animosity toward Kushner’s father-in-law, President Donald Trump.

Under terms of the agreement obtained by The Associated Press, the project will move forward and Journal Square Partners, of which Kushner Companies is a principal investor, will release the city from all claims provided certain benchmarks are met. The city’s redevelopment authority is scheduled to vote on the settlement next week.

According to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, the project will go forward without a tax abatement that was at the center of the lawsuit.

In a statement, Fulop said, “after many years and many prior developers who left this property to stagnate, the city’s great team and Kushner Companies have been able to set aside their differences and collaborate to reach common ground."

The project is expected to begin construction next year.

The accord could bring an end to a contentious battle with roots going back six years and fought partially over social media. Journal Square Partners accused Fulop of putting “politics over principle” by violating a pledge to secure the tax break for One Journal Square, a project to build two 56-story residential towers on top of retail and commercial space in a neighborhood long neglected by developers.

Jared Kushner stepped down from running the Kushner Cos. in January 2017 to become an adviser to Trump. The federal lawsuit, initially filed in 2018, alleged that the city had supported the company’s takeover of the project in 2014 and agreed to help it secure tax abatements and other funding, only to change its tune after Jared...

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