The Maryland Attorney General announced that he is proceeding with the consumer fraud case against the rental property company run by Jared Kushner after finding “numerous, serious violations” of consumer protection laws, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh received more than 600 pages of testimony from renters of Kushner properties that were infested with mice, rats and insects. The renters complained of mold and leaking pipes, but the company didn’t fix problems or address complaints.
Administrative Law Judge Emily Daneker now has 90 days to submit a proposed order, which in Maryland serves as a draft for the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division to direct Kushner’s company, Westminster Management, to pay fines and fix problems. It is also possible that the company could lose its license to operate in Maryland.
In one complaint, according to the Sun, “a woman who lived with her infant son in a townhome at The Commons at White Marsh said she wrote to Westminster in 2018 to ‘please send exterminator continuously until further notice for mice and ants. I am tired of Mickey running through my damn kitchen!'”
Kushner Cos. issued the following statement to the Sun: “After failing emphatically during a three-month hearing, [the Consumer Protection Division] continues to target Westminster Management with more of the same politically motivated abuse,” said General Counsel Christopher W. Smith. “The truth is that Westminster Management has been consistently honored with multiple annual awards for property management excellence by the Maryland Multi-Housing Association, and prides itself in maintaining industry leading standards for upkeep, maintenance, and attention to residents’ well-being — especially during this difficult time.”