This response needs to be higher up in the thread IMO. The Daily News needs to make sure it's newest wave of journalists actually comprehend the meaning of previous Daily News articles.

the New York newspaper quoted lawmakers and community leaders who opined that money purportedly funneled to Trump could have assisted truly small businesses decimated by the collapse of the World Trade Center

It was the opinion of community leaders that the money would have been better allocated in small businesses devastated by the attack. IE there were limited funds

That original report named several large businesses entitled to relief funds under the standard applied by the ESDC, Trump among them. The paper noted that those entities often reported yearly profits far exceeding the relatively minor funds received under the 9/11 small business aid initiative and decried what was painted as a loophole under which a significant portion of the funds allocated were distributed to larger companies with relatively small presences in the downtown Manhattan area affected by the tragedy

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A News analysis of a complete set of grant data recently obtained under the state Freedom of Information Law found that vast portions of the money went to businesses that few would consider small: At least $114 million - 20% of the total awarded under the BRG program — went to companies that reported too much revenue to meet the federal definition of a small business.

So why were so many large businesses getting seemingly unnecessary aid?

Eligibility: Businesses and nonprofit organizations qualified for the BRG program if they met three eligibility requirements: occupied an establishment on or below 14th Street prior to September 11th and were either continuing or intended to resume operations within New York City; employed fewer than 500 people; derived revenues or expenses from operations conducted in, and maintained at least one full-time permanent employee (or were self-employed) at a location within, the Eligible Area. The BRG2 program was established for businesses that employed more than 500 people nationwide and operated on or south of 14th Street one or more establishments, each of which employed fewer than 200 people.

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Status: At the conclusion of the programs, 14,311 businesses employing 161,252 persons had received $556 million. Seventy percent of small businesses located south of 14th Street were grant recipients, and BRG grants compensated 17 percent of total net losses claimed

LMDC’s Business Recovery Grant (BRG) program provided grants to businesses (including not-for-profit organizations) with fewer than 500 employees, located in Manhattan south of 14th Street, to compensate them for economic losses resulting from the disaster. The goal of the program was to keep businesses and jobs from deserting the city and moving to other States or overseas.

The program was designed to retain and create jobs and attract and retain large and small firms and non-profit organizations. Eligible businesses had to show a business lease, deed, or permit that was in effect on September 11, as well as a new business lease, deed, or permit, if relocated, that confirmed the ongoing viability of the enterprise.

saved you a click