Ladies and Gentlemen of the City Council and the honorable Mayor: This letter outlines some of the concerns I have about a colleague of yours, Abdi Warsame. Many of you may not realize that I was a strong supporter of Abdi Warsame four years ago. Mr. Warsame asked me for my support after giving me a hopeful and uplifting sales pitch for how he planned to advance the Somali Community. He gladly accepted my support and I had high hopes for Mr. Warsame. I have come to realize that was a mistake for many reasons. ‘Things changed with Mr. Warsame when I flatly refused his request that I loan him money, ostensibly to use with buying a home. My refusal was unequivocal as that is a mistake T will never make again. Nevertheless, I still held out hope that he would be good for the Somali Community. But the evidence of the last four years proves otherwise. Mr. Warsame holds himself out as the representative of the Somali community. In reality, it simply is not true. I have worked side-by-side with thousands of Somali immigrants and many hundreds who are business owners over the last 20 years, watching them grow in success. I have day-to-day interactions with the Imams at the two Mosques in my buildings as well as many other Imams and community leaders. The vast consensus is the Mr. Warsame does not represent the Somali Community at large, but only a small segment that have direct ties to him and his clan, The Community consensus is that he has accomplished nothing of substance for the community. Personally, he has never reached out to me in any respect (besides asking me for money), although I am the largest commercial landlord for Somalis and one of the largest residential landlords. He has brought no suggestion, complaint or constructive thought to me. This is the repeated experience of the community leaders as well. I would encourage you to reach out to community leaders and obtain an honest assessment. Mr. Warsame’s proposal to build a competing mall to Karmel is not to help the community at large, which has not been consulted. I have strong information from many community leaders that he and his family would have a silent partnership if this ever takes place. His proposal is not about building up the Somali Community, but dividing it for self-interest. Ambassadors from around Europe have come to tour the Karmel Malls to see what we are doing right. A true community leader would work to enhance and enrich that success, not work to oppose it, while copying it. I am not worried personally about his proposal, but am concerned at the direction his “leadership” will take the community. I know Mr. Warsame’s plan for a mall would never be a success. Thave been successful because, nearly every day for the past 20 years, I have been a hands-on landlord, who is involved with his tenants, both financially and as a mentor. Mr. ‘Warsame has never shown the tenacity, business acumen, and, most importantly, inclusivity to make such a project work. Most recently Mr. Warsame lobbied the majority of you to tum down a negotiated settlement 1 had with the city to approve a relatively small, $600 sq. ft. addition to Karmel mall, for which I generously agreed to provide a one block promenade along the Midtown Greenway. I understand he has stated that he had solid information that myself and my company “abuse” hispeople. Contrary to his claims, the majority of my tenants adore me and the last time he visited the mall several tenants approached him and asked him to leave. In fact, we have received many rewards from the community over the years, including in recognition of the financial assistance I provide to Somali businesses. Mr. Warsame is not advancing the Somali community as demonstrated by his opposition to this addition, of which over 35% was to be donated as office space for the adjoining Mosque. He is dividing the community and diminishing all those that have invested many years of hard work at Karmel Malls. And frankly, on its face, his actions are all more consistent with personal jealously and the advice of his political advisor, Brian Rice, to oppose me as a tactic. (In this regard, I have the email). He has become strangely obsessed with attacking me in his campaign literature. He seems to have borrowed his tactics from the current national political landscape—find someone to attack and tie your opponent to him. It is divisive and does not address the real issues facing his community. But my real concern about Mr. Warsame is much deeper and more troubling. Through this, election season, I have heard from many witnesses that four years ago, Mr. Warsame or his, surrogates paid numerous individuals to vote for him and/or to be delegates of the DFL party on his behalf. Also, we have heard from a number of sources that he and/or his surrogates recruited individuals that did not live in his ward. My staff did a mailing to the recent delegates for Mr. Warsame that listed addresses. Nearly 1/3 of the letters were returned as undeliverable. Turge you to look deeper into the effectiveness of Mr. Warsame. Ask yourselves, where would the Somali Community be at in Minnesota without the sense of community, the opportunities, and the hundreds of successes the Karmel Malls provide? Would Minneapolis council members be flying to other cities to look for and understand their immigrant successes? Ask community leaders what they really think about Mr. Warsame. And pethaps query the bureau of criminal activity in London, where he formerly resided, and look into how he received his citizenship, Perhaps, stop and think what ordinances Mr. Warsame introduced to assist his people and who really runs his office? Thank you for your consideration, Sincerely, Basim Sabri