Union, Citing "Grift", Seeks to File Suit Against Horse Carriage Opponents

OCTOBER 3—TWU International President John Samuelsen charged today that deep-pocketed Manhattan elites funding opposition to the Central Park horse carriages may be illegally conspiring with a Florida businessman and a cryptocurrency lawyer who ran a PAC for New York Mayor Eric Adams to end the industry. 

Adams, once a supporter of the horse carriage industry who even set up another trough for the horses to drink from in Central Park, last month pulled what the Daily News called a "flip flop" and issued an executive order which would sunset the industry, breaking his pledge to the TWU to support the horse carriage drivers.

At a press conference held at the TWU Local 100 union hall, Samuelsen said that new evidence, revealed in a Daily News article published yesterday, shows that Florida businessman Josh Fox, who donated to the Mayor’s campaign, met with the Mayor just weeks before his sudden about-face on the horse carriage industry.

“We have now authorized our lawyers to pursue a civil conspiracy claim in Florida,” Samuelsen said, noting that Florida is where Fox's Brady Hunter Foundation, an animal welfare group, is headquartered.

The News reported that Brady Hunter is trying to find a way to manufacture the electric vehicles that would put the horse carriages out of business.

Samuelsen said the suit will cite “misrepresentation, improper fundraising, deception of donors, and lobbying violations.” The suit will allege violations of the RICO statute “both in Florida and potentially in New York as well.”

It will also name Eric Lerner, a cryptocurrency lawyer who is an Adams donor and used to run the largest super PAC that was backing the mayor, according to the News.

David Kanfer, a representative for Josh Fox, told the newspaper the businessman has no financial interest in replacing the carriage horses with electric cars. But Samuelsen said today that the drive to produce electric vehicles to replace the horses is driven by Fox, “who has infused a ton of money into this campaign and openly talks about how he’s hired high level consultants in New York City to drive this agenda across."

"This is a high-level grift operation that deserves a look by the US Department of Justice,” Samuelsen said.

He noted that the main group that has been working to sunset the horse carriage industry, NYCLASS, has made unsubstantiated allegations of animal abuse against the horse carriage drivers. He charged that, in reality, NYCLASS founder Steven Nislick, who is a real estate developer, "openly wants to develop the West Side stables" once the horse carriage industry is forced out of business.