By COLlive staff
The buildings in Aurora, Colorado, which garnered national attention during the 2024 presidential elections, are once again in the spotlight. This time, the focus is on allegations of discrimination faced by a Jewish landlord.
Zev Baumgarten, a Lubavitcher from Crown Heights who relocated to Colorado, has filed a motion in court claiming that the City of Aurora targeted him unfairly due to his Jewish identity.
Baumgarten managed several low-income properties in Aurora on behalf of various investors. These buildings became central to political debates during the 2024 elections, particularly when President Donald Trump highlighted them in his “Operation Aurora” initiative.
According to the motion, while city officials publicly denied the presence of gang activity in these buildings, they repeatedly blamed Baumgarten for the crimes occurring there, without informing him or others about the gang involvement.
Baumgarten’s legal team contends that he received over 25 code violations, whereas other nearby buildings in similar condition were not cited. They argue this disparity may be linked to his visibly Jewish appearance, including his beard, yarmulke, and tzitzis.
The court filing includes a claim that a city official told Baumgarten he was being targeted “because you are an Orthodox Jew.” Additionally, a city lawyer allegedly remarked in a meeting that only jail time would suffice because Baumgarten “comes from East Coast money,” a statement his legal team views as a stereotype.
The motion also asserts that many issues on the properties stemmed from gang activity, not poor management. In one incident, Baumgarten was physically attacked by known gang members while preparing a unit for showing. Despite the attackers being identified, police did not classify the assault as gang-related.
Furthermore, Baumgarten’s lawyers state that the City of Aurora entered into a formal agreement in August 2024 to cease actions against him and drop all charges. However, just weeks later, the city allegedly violated this agreement and continued issuing violations.
Despite the arrest of numerous TdA gang members connected to these buildings, the City of Aurora reportedly continues to pursue actions against Baumgarten.
His legal team is now requesting the court to grant access to internal city communications to support their claim of discriminatory treatment based on his Jewish identity.
If the court finds that Baumgarten was unfairly targeted, all charges against him could be dismissed.
This case not only revisits the buildings’ association with the 2024 elections but also raises broader concerns about potential antisemitism within municipal governance.
A court hearing is anticipated soon. COLlive will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Remember, Like NY, CO is a Leftist state. Generally, Leftist states tend to be antisemitic.
Colorado also likes to copy California’s stupidity. Anything for votes mantra.
tend to be antisemitic? I don’t think so!
Does anyone know? We must pray on behalf of him and his family. He is in such a challenging situation.
Where are his family and freinds.
Why did they let him move to a low income neighborhood without any experience or expertise!!
Wake up.
It’s a gang in a lubavs building stupid!
Pls provide link