Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

‘Condo king’ and mayoral hopeful Allan Domb has released a plan to avoid conflicts of interest if he’s elected

Domb vowed to sell his properties to a company owned by his son and other investors if he is elected mayor.

Former City Councilmember Allan Domb owns hundreds of properties in Philadelphia, most of which are in Center City.
Former City Councilmember Allan Domb owns hundreds of properties in Philadelphia, most of which are in Center City.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

Philadelphia mayoral candidate Allan Domb, a real estate magnate with a vast portfolio of properties in Center City, on Friday released a plan detailing how he would distance himself from his holdings to prevent potential conflicts of interest if he is elected.

Domb, a Democratic former City Council member, styled himself as the “condo king” during his decades as a highly successful real estate broker before he ran for office. He owns more than 400 properties in the city that are worth well over $400 million, and various city workers and appointees from tax assessors to code inspectors to zoning board members interact with his businesses on a nearly constant basis, an Inquirer analysis found last year after reviewing his holdings.

» READ MORE: ‘Condo King’ Allan Domb owns more than 400 properties in Philly. What happens if he becomes mayor?

Domb’s wealth and the extent of his real estate holdings in the city would create an unprecedented circumstance in modern Philadelphia politics, and one with few parallels outside of billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor of New York City.

The plan Domb unveiled Friday follows through on his promise last year to detail a plan for navigating ethical concerns if he is elected.

“Our residents, workers, and business owners must have confidence that decisions are being made for the right reason,” said Domb in a statement. “I will adopt a conflict of interest policy that goes far beyond what current Philadelphia and Pennsylvania ethics laws require. I want to ensure that my staff and appointees meet the highest ethical standards.”

In the plan, Domb vowed to sell his business and his real estate holdings to an entity that would be owned by his son and other investors if he is elected. That business would in turn be prohibited from seeking zoning variances or applying for new construction permits from the city.

The plan, which was crafted with the advice of University of Pennsylvania law and philosophy professor Claire Finkelstein, calls for an independent ethics expert to review any interactions that the new company has with city government.

“While he is mayor, Allan will recuse himself from any matter, including signing legislation, which, in the opinion of the independent ethics expert would benefit Allan, his son’s entity, or the operating committee in a manner more beneficial than the benefit that is conferred on members of the public or Philadelphia property owners generally,” the plan said.

Domb also said he would put his financial investments in a blind trust if he is elected, and he would not purchase additional properties in Philadelphia.

In addition to laying out how he would navigate his finances if he is elected, Domb on Friday announced a wide-ranging policy platform centered on good government issues. Domb’s plan includes:

  1. Doubling funding for elections systems.

  2. Increasing funding and staffing for the Philadelphia Board of Ethics to enforce its regulations.

  3. Increasing campaign contribution limits to diminish the role played by outside spending groups.

  4. Stiffening penalties for violators of the city’s campaign finance rules.

  5. Imposing term limits on Council members.

  6. Establishing an independent Office of the Inspector General to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse.

The primary is May 16.