Hochul’s office pushed for $75M sale of pot retailer to help campaign donor: lawsuitBy Ariel Zilber and Josh Kosman
January 24, 2022
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office pushed to force the bargain-priced buyout of a well-positioned cannabis retailer just days before it was set to wriggle out of the deal — and just days after the lucky acquirer attended a fundraiser for Hochul, according to an explosive lawsuit.
Gov. Hochul’s administration used improper influence late last month to help recreational pot seller Ascend Wellness seal its $75 million deal to buy the MedMen marijuana dispensary chain, the suit filed on Monday claims.
Specifically, MedMen’s lawsuit alleges that Hochul’s office pushed regulators to OK the controversial deal after dragging their feet for nearly a year — and just days after one of Ascend’s executives attended a fundraiser for Hochul’s reelection campaign.
The fundraiser was hosted by Feuerstein Kulick, a Manhattan-based firm that is reportedly a “major player in the field of cannabis law” that “advises companies on winning licenses from state governments,” the suit claims.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/01/24/kathy-hochul-donor-got-state-approval-for-cannabis-merger-suit/
