A Democratic candidate for a competitive House district in southwestern Wake County is facing attacks from the GOP on her past as a landlord, citing legal actions brought against her by the city of Chicago.
Safiyah Jackson, who is running for N.C. House District 37, has a website dedicated to her platform. However, the website is not the only one focused on her candidacy. Another one is paid for by the North Carolina Republican Party. Jackson is running against incumbent Rep. Erin Paré, a Republican, and Christopher Robinson, a Libertarian.
This second website was created by House GOP Caucus Director Stephen Wiley, who told The News & Observer Wednesday afternoon in a call that he’s created that and other websites focusing on Democratic candidates. The website as of Wednesday at 7 p.m. said that Jackson “has a decades-long record of ignoring basic safety.”
“From being sued by the City of Chicago for not providing heat to her tenants in winter, to opposing common-sense measures to keep students safe at public schools,” said the website as of 7 p.m. Wednesday, “Jackson has routinely put her own interests ahead of others.”
Jackson calls the website a “smear” tactic. She said she took full responsibility for issues with a building she bought nearly 20 years ago and no longer owns.
The N.C. House Republicans website cites a March 2024 virtual candidate panel that Jackson participated in where she said metal detectors create “an institutionalized environment and really makes children feel more unsafe than anything.”
The website also includes a page on Paré and Jackson, where it dubs Jackson “a slumlord in Chicago.”
The website created by the GOP on Jackson lists complaints lodged against Jackson by people using the nonemergency system 311, which can be accessed via phone, including one for no heat in December 2005. The site links to a document further detailing complaints and legal actions.
Jackson, in an emailed statement in response to N&O questions on whether she disputed anything on the website and the cases cited on it, said that “two decades ago, as a 26-year-old in Chicago, I invested in a two-story building to help address the low-income housing crisis. It came with many issues, I took full responsibility and resolved them.”
“While my opponent, Erin Paré, resorts to smear tactics, I remain focused on solutions. My experience and policies will uplift communities, support working families, and secure a prosperous future for North Carolina,” she wrote.
Paré said in an email she had nothing to do with the creation of the website and that “this issue isn’t about a website, it’s about my opponent’s record of outright neglect of her tenants and what that record says about her as a candidate and a person.”
“My focus is on my record of accomplishment, and the work I will continue to do to solve problems and boost the quality of life for the people of District 37,” she said.
The N&O reviewed the documents on this website, and other ones provided by Wiley, as well as records found independently regarding Jackson’s time in Chicago. Here’s what we found.
No heat in winter claim
According to Cook County, Illinois, documents, Jackson purchased a multi-family property in that county in November 2004 via a mortgage. She sold that property – which records show had two floors and two apartments – in early 2013 after receiving a foreclosure notice in 2012.
Before selling that property, Jackson faced multiple legal actions brought against her. But the N&O could not find any lawsuit brought by the city of Chicago for failure to provide heat to tenants in the winter, which the NCGOP website alleges. Instead, there is a 311 complaint alleging no heat in winter.
Asked about this, Wiley told The N&O via text that he had not promoted the website with ads yet and that it was a “quick placeholder to get something up then go back and finish.” He told The N&O Wednesday evening he was editing the website to reflect the proper language.
The website now says Jackson “has a decades-long record of ignoring basic safety. From being sued by the City of Chicago for unsafe living conditions for her tenants …”
He said that everything that had been sent to voters “clarifies multiple complaints were filed and she was fined and sued by the city of Chicago, while listing the complaints.” Wiley said a “few” mailers on Jackson’s past in Chicago have already been sent out, including about a month ago. He said there would likely be more sent out.
He shared a picture via text of that mailer, which shows a picture of Jackson over a manila folder that says “a record of negligence and irresponsibility.” Under Jackson’s picture, the mailer reads “slumlord Jackson.” The back of that mailer says Jackson “left tenants” with “no hot water, no heat” and “exposed wiring.”
Legal actions, complaints
Legal cases filed against Jackson included an administrative case by the city of Chicago that led to a hearing on May 7, 2007, and a judgment for failing to supply hot water meeting municipal code requirements.
Documents show she was ordered to pay $525, then later released from the judgment. It was not clear if that was because it was paid.
She also faced a lawsuit at the property in May 2006, filed by the city of Chicago for building code violations.
In a judgment in that case, Jackson was ordered to pay $3,560, plus $60 in court costs and a settlement amount of $500 in January 2007.
Documents show that judgment was for a failure, from December 2005 and “on numerous occasions” afterward, to comply with a city code requiring an exit be equipped with ”door lock hardware which allows the door to open without key or special knowledge from side of egress.”
All of these cases are listed on the NCGOP’s website about Jackson, as well as a slew of non-emergency building code and housing violation complaints logged about Jackson’s property between 2005 and 2012.
There were two complaints logged in 2005 about Jackson’s address. Wiley shared with The N&O the 311 complaints. These were obtained via a request to the city of Chicago, says the NCGOP’s website.
Complaints in 2005 included one on Dec. 17 alleging no heat at all at the property.
The complaint, which was listed as completed on Dec. 27, 2005, also said children were affected. The complainant’s name was redacted. The complaint listed the owner of the property as Sarafina Jackson.
Another complaint, also on Dec. 17, said the lights were “constantly going out” in the entire apartment and said there was faulty and exposed wiring, potentially posing a hazard, though no sparks or smoke were present.
The complaint, also completed Dec. 27, 2005, also said there was no maintenance contact. It again listed Sarafina Jackson as the owner and the complainant’s name is redacted.
A Sept. 8, 2006, complaint said there was no hot water for three months. This complaint was completed on Sept. 25, 2006. No complainant was listed and the owner of the property was listed as Safiyah Jackson.
There was a final complaint on Aug. 7, 2012, at Jackson’s property for a vacant or abandoned lot. Its status was changed to completed and building occupied on July 16, 2013.
Wiley noted that several complaints “were all within pretty quick succession.”
“No heat, despite tenant paying for it, children affected is pretty significant there, especially when she’s trying to make her platform about advocating for children,” he said.
Jackson’s LinkedIn website shows years of experience working in early childhood care and policy, including almost four years as the chief strategy officer for The North Carolina Partnership for Children, a nonprofit organization which oversees the Smart Start initiative, helping families obtain child care. She still holds that role, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Jackson has master’s degrees in Business Administration from Florida A&M University, Early Childhood from National Louis University (NLU) and School Psychology from NLU, according to her website.
Under the Dome
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