Queens Councilwoman Julie Won, now running for Congress, is under scrutiny after a landlord accused her family of living rent-free in a Long Island City condo and then walking away from the bill. The owner says the family moved out earlier this month and is seeking roughly $25,000 in unpaid rent. Won counters that she never signed the lease and labels the whole thing a politically motivated hit.
According to the New York Post, the property owner, political consultant Justin Chae, filed a hold-over petition in Queens Housing Court in late May. He claims Won and her husband, campaign strategist Eugene Noh, moved into his one-bedroom Skyline Tower unit in November 2024 and stayed there rent-free for a year. Chae has submitted what he describes as a copy of the lease along with an email exchange that he says shows Noh acknowledging an agreement that would require $5,000 in monthly rent after the complimentary year ended.
Chae told the New York Post he offered the initial year of free occupancy as a perk for Noh joining his firm, Legion Outreach Consultants, and that the relationship later soured. “Chae can’t believe his friends would take advantage of him this way,” a spokesman told the paper. Chae says he plans to pursue roughly $25,000 in back rent in court.
Won Says Lease Was Forged
Won has fired back, telling reporters that she and her husband never executed the lease and accusing Chae of timing the accusations to damage her campaign in the Democratic primary next Tuesday. Her team says the family moved out of the Skyline Tower unit in early June and that she intends to challenge the landlord’s filings and seek any remedies available after the alleged forgery surfaced, according to reporting by AOL.
What Ethics Rules Say
Ethics lawyers point out that when an elected official accepts housing from someone with political or commercial interests that might overlap with official duties, it can create the appearance of a conflict. Depending on the circumstances, city rules may require disclosure or recusal, and the Conflicts of Interest Board reviews these matters case by case while urging officials to seek guidance in advance.
Federal tax law adds its own twist. In most situations, the Internal Revenue Service treats the fair-market value of employer-provided housing as a taxable fringe benefit, which can raise reporting and withholding questions if the deal looks like compensation. For more detail, see guidance from the Conflicts of Interest Board and the IRS Publication 15-B.
Political Stakes Next Week
The clock is ticking: Won is on the ballot in the June 23 Democratic primary to replace Rep. Nydia Velázquez, a race where trust and transparency could be decisive in the final stretch. Won represents western Queens on the City Council, and her official biography and district work are detailed on the New York City Council site, where housing and tenant issues feature prominently in her platform.
What’s Next
The landlord’s petition is now in Queens Housing Court, and Chae’s camp says it will press ahead to recoup the unpaid rent. A hearing is expected later this month, according to AOL. Both sides say they are prepared to litigate and that the courts, rather than campaigns or headlines, will ultimately determine whether a lease was legitimately executed or fraudulently forged.
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}