Henry “Hank” Goldberg is a real estate executive and major donor to left-of-center political candidates and advocacy organizations. Along with his wife, Carol Brown Goldberg, he has contributed millions to the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates.

Career

Henry Goldberg is the founder and chairman of Artery Capital Group LLC, where he has worked since its founding in 1959. ¹ Goldberg is still involved in the day to day operations of the company which has built and renovated 20,000 apartments over 49 years. ² Mr. Goldberg also founded a home-building company, was a trustee and board member at Equity Residential from 1995 to 2002, was a member of the Apartment and Office Building Association, was a board member of Madison National Bank, and was a member of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. ³ Goldberg has also served on the advisory board of American University and the board of the University of Maryland Foundation. ⁴

Charitable Contributions

The Goldbergs have made charitable contributions of $90,000 to the David Lloyd Kreeger Foundation, a fund connected to the Kreeger Museum which has featured Carol’s art. ⁵⁶⁷ The Goldberg family does not appear to publicly sponsor any other charitable organizations.

Political Activities

The Goldbergs are major donors to Democratic candidates and political committees. Candidates that the Goldberg’s have supported with financial contributions in the past include U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kyrsten iynema (D-AZ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Joe Manchin (D-WV); former U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Al Franken (D-MN), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO); and Democratic candidates Philip Bredesen, Beto O’Rourke, and Daniel Helmer. ⁸

The Goldbergs also support the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and state Democratic committees. In 2017 and 2018 alone, Henry and Carol contributed $633,900 to the DNC, with their combined lifetime contributions totaling around $1,000,000. ⁹

Since 2016 Henry has contributed $1,525,000 to the Democratic U.S. Senate leadership-associated Super PAC Senate Majority PAC. ^{10 11} The Goldbergs have contributed to a host of other left-of-center committees such as American Bridge 21^st Century, Rethink PAC, Win Minnesota Federal PAC, Priorities USA Action, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Impact, Hillary Victory Fund, Bringing Leadership Back PAC, Midwest Values PAC, To Organize a Majority PAC (TOMPAC), PAC For a Level Playing Field, Committee for Change, and Educate and Innovate PAC. ¹²¹³

Controversies

Housing Discrimination Accusations

Henry Goldberg’s company was sued for alleged housing discrimination in a 1987 court case. The plaintiffs, residents of two apartment complexes, alleged that Artery’s decision to evict the 691 tenants, mostly minorities, constituted discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. ¹⁴ Goldberg’s company settled the suits and made agreements with local governments to provide reserved housing units for poorer residents. ¹⁵

DNC Fundraisers

In 2016 the New York Times reported that the Goldbergs were among the members of the Democratic Party’s “wealthy donor class” seen engaging in “bluntly transactional exchanges necessary to harvest hundreds of millions of dollars.” ¹⁶ The Goldbergs sought out Democratic National Committee staffers and communicated that they would be interested in hosting a $350,000 fundraiser and donor roundtable at their home in Chevy Chase as long as then-President Obama was able to personally attend. ¹⁷ The fundraiser was apparently cancelled when the President was unable to attend. ¹⁸

Later, however, the Goldbergs hosted a fundraiser at their home in Chilmark where President Obama made an appearance “to stump for Hillary Clinton.” ¹⁹

1. “Our Team.” Artery Capital Group. January 04, 2019. Accessed May 31, 2019. http://www.arterycapital.com/our-team/.
2. “Company Overview of Artery Capital Group LLC.” Bloomberg.com. Accessed May 31, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=657485&privcapId=4399565&previousCapId=4399565&previousTitle=Artery Capital Group LLC.
3. “Company Overview of Artery Capital Group LLC.” Bloomberg.com. Accessed May 31, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=657485&privcapId=4399565&previousCapId=4399565&previousTitle=Artery Capital Group LLC.
4. “Company Overview of Artery Capital Group LLC.” Bloomberg.com. Accessed May 31, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=657485&privcapId=4399565&previousCapId=4399565&previousTitle=Artery Capital Group LLC.
5. “The Kreeger Museum, Permanent Collection.” Permanent Collection | Kreeger Museum. Accessed May 31, 2019. https://www.kreegermuseum.org/about-us/collection/outdoor-sculpture/Carol-Brown-Goldberg_RA-054.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). The David Lloyd Kreeger Foundation. 2016. Additional Data Sheet.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). The David Lloyd Kreeger Foundation. 2015. Schedule B, Part I.
8. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2018&contributor_name=Henry Goldberg&min_date=01/01/2017&max_date=12/31/2018.
9. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2018&committee_id=C00010603&contributor_name=Henry Goldberg&min_date=01/01/2017&max_date=12/31/2018.
10. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual- contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2016&committee_id=C00484642&contributor_name=Henry Goldberg&min_date=01/01/2015&max_date=12/31/2016.
11. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2018&committee_id=C00484642&contributor_name=Henry Goldberg&min_date=01/01/2017&max_date=12/31/2018.
12. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2018&recipient_committee_type=O&contributor_name=Henry Goldberg&min_date=01/01/2017&max_date=12/31/2018&designation=J.
13. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2016&recipient_committee_type=O&contributor_name=Henry Goldberg&min_date=01/01/2015&max_date=12/31/2016&designation=J.
14. Brown v. Artery Organization, Inc. (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia July 08, 1987) (Justia US Law, Dist. file).

    See https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/691/1459/1813701/.

15. Murphy, Caryle. “VA. RENOVATION FLAP LEAVES DEVELOPER WARY.” The Washington Post. April 11, 1988. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1988/04/11/va-renovation-flap-leaves-developer-wary/55c0356b-c0ba-445a-85f6-a78f72d35944/?utm_term=.31567568206b.
16. Confessore, Nicholas, and Steve Eder. “In Hacked D.N.C. Emails, a Glimpse of How Big Money Works.” The New York Times. July 25, 2016. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/26/us/politics/dnc-wikileaks-emails-fundraising.html.
17. Confessore, Nicholas, and Steve Eder. “In Hacked D.N.C. Emails, a Glimpse of How Big Money Works.” The New York Times. July 25, 2016. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/26/us/politics/dnc-wikileaks-emails-fundraising.html.
18. Confessore, Nicholas, and Steve Eder. “In Hacked D.N.C. Emails, a Glimpse of How Big Money Works.” The New York Times. July 25, 2016. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/26/us/politics/dnc-wikileaks-emails-fundraising.html.
19. Wells, Julia. “President Obama Takes Brief Vacation Break to Stump for Hillary Clinton.” The Vineyard Gazette – Martha’s Vineyard News. August 15, 2016. Accessed June 03, 2019. https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2016/08/15/president-obama-takes-brief-vacation-break-stump-hillary-clinton.