Is Astorino Being Considered for Trump Administration Job?

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Could the administration that President-elect Donald J. Trump is putting together include a prominent Westchester County politician?

A tweet from Diane Yentel, who is the president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said that County Executive Robert Astorino is on the shortlist to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Trump administration.

At a press conference Monday in White Plains, which Astorino called to address racist and anti-Semitic graffiti on the Bronx River bike path, a reporter asked if he was interested in being considered for a D.C. gig.

He said has not had any “direct conversations” about the possibility of an administration position.

“I’ve seen what everyone else has seen in print,” Astorino, a Republican, said. “That doesn’t make it true or not true.”

He also said that he loves the job he has.

“I am very doubtful that I’ll get that call,” Astorino said.

The New York Post, in an article Sunday, said that the county executive’s name was being floated for the administration, along with Rudy Guiliani.

Former Journal News columnist Phil Reisman speculated in October that an appointment of Astorino by Trump would place a political enemy of the department into the position as head of the department.

Astorino ran unsuccessfully to unseat Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2014. Cuomo served as HUD secretary during President Bill Clinton’s administration.

Astorino has been sparring with HUD for years over an affordable housing settlement which he said was overreach on behalf of the federal government to control zoning.

Trump and Astorino have been friendly for years, what with Trump’s real estate holdings in the county.

The president-elect has an estate in Bedford and several other properties around the Hudson Valley.

For the complete New York Post article, go here. Reisman’s Journal News column can be read by clicking here.

Photo credit: Westchester County.