Solons Busy Outside Office, New Income Report Shows

In addition to practicing politics, City Council members and borough officials have also been busy in the private sector this year, receiving paychecks for their work as lawyers, real estate owners, and even as an unofficial ambassador to Turkey.The ambassador was none other than the president of Brooklyn, Marty Markowitz, who was reimbursed somewhere between $1,000 and $5,000 by the Turkish government for his trip.“At invitation of the Republic of Turkey, traveled for purposes of fostering a better relationship between Brooklyn and Turkey and to inform and advocate tourism in Brooklyn,” Mr. Markowitz explained in his 2007 financial disclosure form, which was released yesterday. His duties didn’t stop there: The Brooklyn Hospital Center comped him a similar amount for a trip to Grenada, where he promoted “intercourse in healthcare innovations” (in addition to tourism in Brooklyn).The City Council was not quite as adventurous as Mr. Markowitz, judging by the financial disclosures of its members, but its members made a pretty penny off second and sometimes third jobs, predominantly as lawyers, professors, and real estate owners.Council Member Michael McMahon of Staten Island, who is running for Congress, was one of the highest earners; he made somewhere between $250,000 and $500,000 for his work representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. He even topped Council Member David Weprin of Queens, who earned between $100,000 and $250,000 at his investment banking firm in 2007. And while investment banking may be in the dumps this year, Mr. Weprin is also a practicing lawyer, so he should be set.The forms list earnings in categories rather than defined figures, so it’s tough to pin down how much council members made aside from their base salary of $112,500 (the result of a 25% raise that they voted to give themselves in November 2006). Those who didn’t earn any outside money include Council Member Eric Gioia of Queens, an attorney who chose to do pro bono work instead. He helped sue Exxon Mobil for an oil spill at Newton Creek, a body of water between Brooklyn and Queens.Council Member Thomas White Jr. gets the runner-up award for community work, serving as executive director of a substance abuse center in Queens — and earning between $100,000 and $250,000 for his trouble.No less than seven council members were paid for professorships, including David Yassky, who taught at NYU Law School, and Robert Jackson, who taught for Cornell. Others have dipped their feet into the real estate business: Council Member Domenic Recchia of Brooklyn owns four properties worth a total of something more than $2 million (and holds six mortgages to boot). Council Member Inez Dickens also owns four properties worth more than $2 million, all of which she inherited.“Something more than $2 million” may sound like a vague figure, but the city lawmakers disclosed a lot more information than their state counterparts, who are allowed to conceal how much they make from the public. The state disclosure rules came under heightened scrutiny this month after a state assemblyman of Queens, Anthony Seminerio, was charged with hiding illegal payoffs by funneling them through a fake consulting firm.

Solons Busy Outside Office, New Income Report Shows

Solons Busy Outside Office, New Income Report Shows

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