NOHO — A major New York City developer is lashing out at Donald Trump with a billboard urging people to "Vote Your Conscience," according to news reports.
The Real Deal reported that developer Aby Rosen posted a photo to Instagram of one of his construction sites in NoHo wrapped in a poster that reads, "Vote Your Conscience!"
The quote is a nod to onetime presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz, who said it while refusing to endorse the nominee at the at the GOP convention, drawing boos from Trump supporters.
Cruz's entreaty to Republicans has been echoed by officials on both sides of the aisle, including Hillary Clinton.
The poster on the site at 337 Lafayette St. features the logo of Rosen's real estate company, RFR, and his caption on Instagram read, "Wake up America."
Rosen is a major player in the New York real estate scene, especially downtown in the NoHo area where he purchased several high-profile properties in the past year, including a famed graffiti-covered home on Bowery and a longtime women's shelter on Lafayette Street.
He is turning both of those sites into luxury retail stores, and recently opened a hotel in SoHo called 11 Howard.
The Real Deal linked the poster's slogan to Ted Cruz's refusal to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention last month, instead urging voters to listen to their "consciences."
Both Gawker and The Real Deal note Rosen's frequent contributions to Democratic campaigns, but say lashing out against Trump is interesting in light of Rosen's frequent business partnerships with the candidate's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Rosen recently backed out of a deal with Kushner, however, noted The Real Deal, adding that it was unclear if his change of heart in that case had anything to do with the election.
Executives at RFR did not respond to an emailed inquiry about the poster. Spokeswomen for Kushner and the Trump campaign also did not respond to emailed inquiries.
