The New York City Register’s office was tricked into filing a fraudulent deed that claimed Ivanka Trump and Hillary Clinton were partnering on real estate deals totaling $150 million.
The New York Post reported the fake deed claimed the political rivals were teaming up on a pair of transactions, including the alleged purchase of a duplex condominium in the swanky Central Park Tower. The phony deed, which claimed the unlikely partners were “relatives or former relatives,” was not notarized but was nonetheless stamped as “approved” by city clerks on May 16.
Adelaide Polsinelli, a real estate broker at Compass who first spotted the phony filing, told the Post, “It’s frightening to think real estate documents can be so easily manipulated that every city clerk involved overlooked such an obvious fake.”
Ryan Lavis, a spokesman for the city Department of Finance, admitted, “This deed was filed in error and has been removed following a review. The City Register reviews all recordings for signs of deed fraud and make referrals where appropriate to the Sheriff’s Office and to prosecuting attorney offices.”
It is uncertain who perpetrated the fraud – the seller on the deed was identified as “David Smith.” Neither Trump nor Clinton’s offices responded to the story.
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