NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov used authorities e mail to solicit enterprise

Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov not too long ago used her authorities e mail account to solicit enterprise for a self-defense firm she has been concerned with, in accordance with a Each day Information evaluate of public information.

The primary-term Republican lawmaker’s promotion of the nonprofit firm, Legion Alpha, Inc., drew a stern rebuke from Richard Briffault, a former chairman of the town Conflicts of Curiosity Board, who mentioned her use of a authorities e mail to spice up the agency ran afoul of native authorities ethics legislation.

“That’s a transparent violation of battle guidelines,” Briffault mentioned, pointing to a bit of the Metropolis Constitution that he famous prohibits her from utilizing “public assets for a monetary acquire of a agency with which she is related.”

Vernikov’s solicitation got here within the type of a Jan. 30 e mail she despatched from her authorities account to constituents in her district, which covers a slice of southern Brooklyn that features Brighton Seashore and Sheepshead Bay.

Within the e mail, Vernikov — who’s a member of the Council’s Ethics Committee — wrote that she has “partnered with” Legion to supply lessons in Krav Maga, an Israeli martial artwork, at a neighborhood synagogue.

The e-mail included a poster promoting 4 months of biweekly lessons for 30 college students at $300 per individual. The message additionally included a hyperlink constituents might click on to join the paid program.

“House is restricted and there are only some spots left for this location,” Vernikov wrote.

Additionally within the e mail, Vernikov wrote that she has served as “a Chairperson on the chief board” of Legion. A biography posted on her Council web site states she nonetheless serves in that position.

Corey Feldman, Legion’s president, mentioned this previous Thursday that Vernikov is “nonetheless very a lot concerned” along with his group’s Brooklyn chapter.

“We’ve her very a lot to thank for filling that class,” he mentioned, noting that her promotion was “a giant purpose” why Legion crammed all 30 pupil slots.

Just a few hours after offering these feedback, Feldman known as The Information again and mentioned Vernikov is now not “concerned in an official capability” along with his group.

“However she does assist me loads with the Brooklyn chapter, and obtained it off the bottom,” he added.

Regardless of the biography on her Council web site, Vernikov mentioned she isn’t on Legion’s board. She additionally mentioned she hasn’t obtained any “monetary acquire” from the group.

“I served in a volunteer capability … and proceed to strongly help their trigger,” mentioned Vernikov, who flipped a beforehand Democratic Council seat within the 2021 election after Donald Trump, Jr. and different outstanding Republicans stumped for her marketing campaign.

Briffault mentioned Vernikov possible violated ethics legislation even when she isn’t presently concerned with Legion in a proper capability, as the principles bar public officers from utilizing “any metropolis assets for any non-city function.”

“So private acquire to the member just isn’t important” for it to be a violation, Briffault added.

Conflicts of Curiosity Board Govt Director Carolyn Miller, whose company is tasked with implementing metropolis ethics legislation, declined to remark particularly on Vernikov’s Legion solicitation.

“[The law] prohibits the board from commenting on the previous conduct of a public servant till such time because the board makes a closing discovering of a violation dedicated by that public servant,” Miller mentioned.

Vernikov might additionally face an ethics headache over a current discretionary allocation she issued to a gaggle she has ties to, Briffault mentioned, although he added that incident was far much less clear minimize.

Metropolis information present Vernikov steered $10,000 final yr to a gaggle known as Individuals Towards Antisemitism from the Council’s discretionary pot, which members can dip into to offer funding for nonprofit initiatives of their districts.

In line with tax information reviewed by The Information, Vernikov served as a vice chairman of Individuals Towards Antisemitism as not too long ago as December 2021. The group’s founder is former Brooklyn State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who used to make use of Vernikov as a particular assistant and was a outstanding supporter of her 2021 Council marketing campaign.

Vernikov’s Council biography web page states she nonetheless serves as a member of Individuals Towards Antisemitism’s board, however her annual monetary disclosure says she resigned from that place “shortly after” she was sworn into workplace in January 2022.

Each Vernikov and Hikind mentioned final week she has had no position at Individuals Towards Antisemitism since early 2022.

Below Council guidelines, members are prohibited from giving discretionary funds to organizations at which they function workers or board members, no matter whether or not they’re paid. As well as, Council members aren’t allowed to award discretionary cash to a company the place an “related individual” — like a member of the family or a enterprise accomplice — serves as an worker if that individual stands to “profit, or seems to learn, from the funding.”

The foundations additionally require each Council members and organizations benefitting from their discretionary spending to reveal “any potential conflicts of curiosity” forward of an award.

Neither Vernikov nor Hikind would say in the event that they ever made such a disclosure in relation to the Individuals Towards Antisemitism award.

However they each mentioned in separate textual content messages that “there isn’t a battle” associated to the award.