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September 6, 2006
The Ratner Touch
Bruce Ratner gets a lot of mileage out of telling anyone who will listen that he no longer contributes political campaigns to avoid the appearance of buying favors. But that doesn't stop the rest of his clan, especially "famed Constitutional Rights attorney–and brother of Bruce... –Michael Ratner."
DDDB comments on Atlantic Yards Report's revelations of large campaign donations from friends and family of Brooklyn's first developer, Caring Bruce Ratner:
Bruce Ratner doesn't just include his brother as a middleperson, but also his sister-in-law, his sister, and his girlfriend. Most astounding are Michael Ratner's contributions to convicted former Kings County Democratic party boss Clarence Norman, Democratic Party pariah Ed Towns and NY City Comptroller William Thompson. Thompson, as Comptroller, has given resounding support to the "Atlantic Yards" plan though he has never publicly scrutinized its various public funding mechanisms or the financial impact on the City of New York.
Michael Ratner has often donated using the 1 Metrotech address which happens to house Forest City Ratner's headquarters. Additionally his financial support of "Atlantic Yards," which arguably abuses the Fifth and First Amendments, has confounded us for quite a while, as we have great respect for the Constitutional and Human Rights work that he does.
Posted by lumi at September 6, 2006 9:44 AM