Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, pictured here at last week's Atlantic Antic, is still drawing fire over the way he runs several non-profit groups that put on free Brooklyn events and promote tourism. Last month city comptroller Bill Thompson said he was "very concerned" about $680,496 in taxpayer-financed no-bid contracts Markowitz awarded to the non-profits, and the Brooklyn Paper saw a conflict in the estimated $260,000 that Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner donated to fund Markowitz's Best of Brooklyn non-profit and his concert series.
Now the Post, in an exclusive, has learned that the amount of money poured into Markowitz's non-profits by developer Bruce Ratner and others involved in the embattled Atlantic Yards project is at least $680,000—much more than originally believed. Dick Dadey of the government watchdog group Citizens Union tells the Post that "affiliated nonprofits should not be used as pseudo campaign accounts. One could argue that these nonprofits raise the profile of the borough president in a way that certainly aids his possible campaigns."
Markowitz is a longtime supporter of the Atlantic Yards project and bringing the Nets to Brooklyn, and he'll either run for mayor next year or seek a third term if the term limits are lifted. He doesn't see a conflict of interest and insists he's "absolutely proud of everything no matter what The Post wants to imply." But Daniel Goldstein of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn tells the Post Markowitz is "clearly bought and paid for" by Ratner and his partners for Atlantic Yards:"This allows Ratner to support Markowitz's political interests outside of campaign finance rules. In return, Markowitz unconditionally supports Atlantic Yards."