Two New York City Democratic Socialists of America leaders are defending their real estate holdings after public records revealed both own half-million-dollar Brooklyn apartments.
Labor Coordinator Olivia Gonzalez Killingsworth, who was elected to her post in 2025, sold an Upper West Side triplex for $2.4 million on Sept. 12, 2022, according to public records. She inherited the property from her aunt Elizabeth, who died in 2018, and used the proceeds to purchase a $521,000 one-bedroom in Brooklyn just two days later on Sept. 14, 2022.
Killingsworth told The Post that because of the inheritance, she has “the privilege of stable housing, something that should be guaranteed to every New Yorker.” She runs her own bookkeeping business and works as an actor and singer, according to her website.
DSA Steering Committee chair Julie Swoope also owns a half-million-dollar one-bedroom co-op in Brooklyn, purchased in 2021 for $510,000. The apartment, located blocks from Prospect Park, features high ceilings, skyline views and ample closet space, per its Streeteasy listing. Swoope said she was able to become a property owner and build a family “after living in a rent stabilized apartment.”
Swoope took to X to push back against accusations of hypocrisy within the organization. “Charges of hypocrisy against Gustavo or any DSA member who has comfortable financial background are dumb. It’s not hypocritical to want others to enjoy the economic security that you do,” she posted.
The two women join a third DSA leader, NYC co-chair Gustavo Gordillo, in facing scrutiny over personal wealth. Gordillo was gifted a $1.5 million Bed-Stuy townhouse by his telecommunications millionaire father. The Yale-educated sculptor was previously booted from the electricians union after ghosting his employer, and a source close to the organization told The Post that his days in leadership may be numbered.
“They’re like babies opening their eyes for the first time, and everything’s blurry. Many of them have never worked a job before and now they’re realizing if they want to be a player in New York, people are going to ask them questions,” the source said.
NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Queens) seized on the disclosures to attack the organization. “Once again we’re finding out why DSA actually stands for Daddy’s Savings Account. Selling a multimillion-dollar Manhattan Triplex to go play pretend bohemian with your rich comrades in Brooklyn is a luxury working-class New Yorkers will never have,” she said.
Both apartments exceed the average U.S. Home price of $387,400, according to 2026 Census and HUD data. The revelations have drawn particular attention given that nearly 70% of NYC residents are renters, leaving the socialist leaders vulnerable to charges that they are out of step with the working-class constituents they claim to represent.
Swoope’s mother, Gail Cunningham Swoope, was an artist who spent three years traveling on her “live-aboard sailboat” and belonged to the New Smyrna Beach Boat and Ski Club, according to her obituary.
Killingsworth’s former triplex, located one block from Central Park, featured 10-foot ceilings, a fireplace, marble shower stalls and bay windows with views of Callery Pear blossoms lining the street.
The disclosures have rattled the typically secretive organization as it faces mounting questions about the personal wealth of its leadership ranks.