Douglas Jemal

Jemal's sons Norman Jemal and Matthew Jemal are active in the real estate business. His daughter, Kim Jemal Cayre, is married to the nephew of Joseph Cayre, a New York real estate developer and record producer.

In 2020, Jemal purchased a $1.425 million house in the Nottingham Terrace area of Buffalo.

Politics and pardon

Jemal has contributed to politicians of both major U.S. political parties but he has given more to Republicans. In 2016, he contributed $32,000 to the Republican National Committee and in 2020, he contributed $100,000 to the RNC. He contributed $2,700 to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign. He is also friends with real estate developer Charles Kushner, whose son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is married to Ivanka Trump.

On January 20, 2021, Jemal received a pardon for his 2008 wire fraud conviction from President Donald Trump.

In December 2021, a denial of a liquor license for an associate of Jemal was reversed after it was noted that he contributed over $53,000 to the campaign of Governor of New York Kathy Hochul.

Jamal has been criticized for often paying his contractors late to fund more real estate purchases. Turnover was high in his company as superintendents were stressed. He has been criticized for leaving derelict properties vacant rather than developing them and for asking for very high rents, forcing out long-standing local tenants.

Jemal was accused or bribery for his relationship with Michael Lorusso, deputy director of D.C.'s Office of Property Management. Jemal bought Lorusso trips to Las Vegas, a Rolex watch, two pairs of $500 cowboy boots, and gave him $15,000 in cash. In 2002, Lorusso set up a deal whereby the D.C. government purchased an impound lot from Jemal for $12.5 million, nearly 10 times the amount Jemal paid for it just four years earlier. Lorusso also approved a $1 million lease payment to Jemal from the city. Despite Lorusso pleading guilty to bribery, Jemal was acquitted of bribery by a 12-person jury.

In July 2006, Jemal was convicted of wire fraud for falsifying an invoice to withdraw money from a lender-held reserve, which he needed to buy another property. This was all unbeknownst to his partner in the deal, Joseph Cayre, although Cayre defended Jemal in the legal proceedings. Jemal was sentenced to a $175,000 fine and received five years probation, but no prison time. The judge cited his charitable giving in the sentencing.