West Flushing Civic Association

Peddling For Real Estate Interests--In Office And Out?

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER--excerpt from the Queens Tribune

ARCHIE IS NO JUGHEAD: We said we’d tell you where they landed if we heard of the big money firms attracting those who were term limited out of office. Here’s one.

Archie Spigner who has already landed a part-time “advisory and consulting” gig with Carlysle Towery’s Greater Jamaica Development Corp. has joined the law firm of Sheldon Lobel. Archie is not an attorney.

Lobel is a big time zoning and variance lawyer who represents many of the wealthy developers in getting their projects approved by the City. He is said to be one of the guys to hire when you have a touchy development project that is opposed by the Community Board but want City Planning Commission approval. Shelly Lobel is a top-notch land use lobbyist-attorney.

Archie, former deputy majority leader of the City Council as well as its former chair of the Committee of Housing and Buildings, is in a perfect position to add to Lobel’s influence. He’s going to be doing what many former elected officials do: using connections and years of experience gained while serving the public to make money on the other side, influencing the process.

There’s nothing wrong with it here in the City; it’s all legal.

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