NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — New York City Councilmember Inna Vernikov may have violated city ethics laws by promoting paid self defense classes to constituents using her government email, a report by the New York Daily News found.
On Jan. 30, the Republican Council member, who has represented parts of Southern Brooklyn since 2021, sent an email to constituents promoting martial arts classes by Legion Alpha, Inc., a self defense non-profit.
The email advertised biweekly Krav Maga classes that cost $300 per person and included a link to sign up.
The City Charter prohibits the use of public resources for financial gain.
Vernikov is or was a chair of the executive board at the company. The Council member’s biography on the City Council website still lists her as a “Chair at Legion Self Defense.”
The company’s president, Corey Feldman, told the Daily News Vernikov is no longer “involved in an official capacity.”
Vernikov told the paper she only serves in a “volunteer capacity” and that she hasn’t received “financial gain” from the relationship.
Whether or not a Council member is profiting from a relationship like the one between Vernikov and Legion, city ethics rules say officials should refrain from using city resources for non-city purposes.
Feldman told the Daily News that Vernikov’s potentially unethical promotion was a big boost for the paid class. “We have her very much to thank for filling that class,” he said.
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