A New York City councilman who is in the running for Congress is facing a $25,000 debt for unpaid rent after living in a luxury high-rise for five months, as reported by his former landlord and court documents.
Councilmember Julie Wong (D-Queens) and her family recently left their one-bedroom condo at Skyline Towers on Long Island City’s waterfront, just days after the condo owner, Justin Choi, issued an eviction notice. Choi, a prominent political consultant and former family friend, has stated that Wong and her political strategist husband, Eugene Noh, owe significant back rent.
Skyline Towers is a striking 67-story building known for its high-end amenities, including a fitness center, swimming pool, sauna, spa, and yoga room.
Wong has claimed that Choi forged her signature on a rental agreement, asserting that neither she nor her husband ever formally signed any contract for the apartment.
While Choi values the apartment at nearly $1 million, he mentioned that he had initially allowed the couple and their two children to live there rent-free starting in November 2024. This arrangement was part of a one-year lease he shared with the media.
Choi had offered free rent to Noh as an incentive for him to take on a role at his consulting firm, Region Outreach Consultants, based on their longstanding friendship since the 1980s. However, this professional relationship fell apart, leading to Noh’s termination on June 26, as indicated by a petition filed in Queens Housing Court.
Choi has stated that while the family can stay rent-free until the end of 2025, they would be expected to pay $5,000 a month afterward if they wish to continue living there.
However, the couple reportedly never made any payments and began avoiding Choi’s attempts to reach them from April onward, as claimed by Choi.
Choi intends to file more court documents seeking the $25,000 in unpaid rent from the past five months, with a hearing scheduled for June 30.
“It’s hard to believe that friends would take advantage of him like this,” said Hank Sheinkopf, Choi’s publicist and a veteran Democratic consultant.
On the other hand, Wong has accused Choi of “political blackmail” amid her congressional campaign, suggesting that the lease he showed would not hold up in court. She even hinted at a counter-suit for what she described as a clear act of political smear.
“This is a serious misunderstanding, and unfortunately, many families in the city go through similar issues with landlords,” she said, expressing eagerness to clarify matters in court, particularly since she insists no valid lease was ever signed.
Wong, however, seemed unable to address an email exchange provided to the media, where Noh indicated that he had “signed” the rental agreement, nor could she confirm whether Choi had signed her name as well. The couple did not comment on the allegations regarding their unpaid rent.
In a recent interview, Wong mentioned her congressional bid to replace retiring U.S. Representative Nydia Velasquez and stated that she and her husband pay over $4,000 in rent each month.
While she did not refer to the landlord conflict during the interview, she explained their move to Long Island City, citing a recommendation for their children to attend a school with a higher population of students from similar backgrounds.
Wong, who represents the areas of Long Island City, Sunnyside, and parts of Western Queens, earns an annual salary of $148,500.
In parallel, Noh is now operating his own political consulting firm called Legion Consulting, similar to Choi’s business. Records indicate that he has earned $268,696 in campaign work since last August.
After parting ways with Choi, Noh’s most notable client has been former Mayor Eric Adams, for whom he reportedly managed a campaign during Adams’ unsuccessful re-election bid, earning around $104,735.
Wong is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has publicly supported current Mayor Zoran Mamdani in the previous year’s Democratic primary.
In an earlier statement, the couple felt they were facing undue scrutiny from the media, which they described as “sexist” and “misogynistic,” as it centered around their differing support for mayoral candidates.
As for Velasquez, he is endorsing Antonio Reynoso from Brooklyn to take over his position, while Mamdani supports state Representative Claire Valdez (D-Queens).
