Conflict of interest in Ratner bid (Brooklyn Nets)

Interesting that a conflict of interest has been identified in a lawyer who advised the builder-team owner Bruce Ratner, and then went to work for the state agency that is involved in the project. Many of the people "advising" the DC Government's Executive Branch had serious conflicts of interest in terms of representing citizens interest vs. representing the interests of getting a baseball team "by any means necessary." But they haven't been barred from continuing to "represent the city" on this matter.

From Metro NY, "Conflict of interest in Ratner bid: Partial victory for arena foes as lawyer tossed; demolition for arena can proceed, however:"

The Empire State Development Corporation must remove a high-profile lawyer whom the state agency retained to advise it on the environmental impact of the proposed Nets arena project because of a conflict of interest with developer Bruce Ratner.

David Paget, who was approached by Ratner to work on the arena plan in December 2003, advised Ratner to go through the ESDC in 2005 — after he had been hired there — to win approval to demolish six buildings within the footprint of the arena plan, which has not yet been approved.

Index Keywords: stadiums-arenas