Billionaire Stephen Ross of the Related Companies faces protests for Trump fundraiser

Billionaire Stephen Ross of the Related Companies faces protests for Trump fundraiser

By Lynda Carson - August 11, 2019

As reported by Politico, billionaire Stephen Ross the founder of “The Related Companies,” is facing a backlash for fundraising for the alleged racist President Donald Trump.

Reportedly, protests and boycotts have occurred because of an August 9th fundraiser held at a Southhampton estate of Ross who is reportedly the CEO and Chairman, of the Related Companies. Reportedly, some tickets for the fundraiser held by Ross were priced at $100,000, and others were priced at $250,000.

Related California, an affiliate of the Related Companies/Related is an affordable housing partner with the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation at the “The Avery,” in San Francisco.

Reportedly, Related California also has a partnership with the Mission Housing Development Corporation, in addition to a partnership with the Chinatown Community Development Center, in San Francisco.

Related California is also listed as a partner with the Mayor’s Office of Community Development (MOHCD).

According to a March 17, 2014, press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ), “Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in Manhattan federal court alleging that RELATED COMPANIES, INC. (“RELATED”), a major real estate developer based in New York City, has engaged in a pattern and practice of developing rental apartment buildings that are inaccessible to persons with disabilities.”

Additionally on December 10, 2014, according to a release from the DOJ, “Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the settlement of a federal civil rights lawsuit with the RELATED COMPANIES (“RELATED”) by consent decree. Under the settlement, RELATED agrees to establish procedures that will ensure that its ongoing and future development projects, such as the residential complexes at the Hudson Yards development on Manhattan’s West Side, will comply with the accessibility requirements of the federal Fair Housing Act (“FHA”). RELATED also agrees to make retrofits at four residential rental complexes in Manhattan – One Carnegie Hill, Tribeca Green, 500 West 30th Street, and 529 West 29th Street – to make them more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Additionally, RELATED agrees to inspect its twelve other residential rental complexes in Manhattan and, where necessary, make retrofits at those buildings as well. Finally, RELATED agrees to provide up to $1.9 million to compensate aggrieved persons and pay a civil penalty of $100,000. The consent decree was approved today by U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin.”

According to an August 8, 2019, Indy Bay Newswire report, “LGBT activists in San Francisco have joined a nationwide call for a boycott of the fitness chains SoulCycle and Equinox after discovering that the billionaire owner (Stephen Ross) of their parent company is a supporter of President Donald Trump. They are calling on current members to cancel their memberships and decline to renew them.”

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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