In heated City Council race, KenyattaJohnson.com redirecting to his competitor's campaign site

Update: An earlier version of this blog post stated Johnson had not launched a campaign site. He has, at citizensforkenyattajohnson.com

City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson officially kicked off his reelection campaign Saturday. But supporters won't find information on his bid at KenyattaJohnson.com.

Or KenyattaJohnson.net.

Or KenyattaJohnson.org.

All three are active sites – that redirect to the campaign website for his competitor, Ori Feibush.

Feibush on Monday acknowledged purchasing the sites.

"For the first time in four years, something with the councilman's name will be associated with a clear vision and plan for improving the Second District, which is what voters will find at my campaign website," he said.

According to a domain search website, the three sites were purchased on Nov. 29, 2013 and will expire two years later, just after the elections. Johnson purchased his campaign site, citizensforkenyattajohnson,com, in July.

Johnson's campaign spokesman Mark Nevins, in a statement, called Feibush's move "one of the most cutting edge campaign tactics of 2004."

"Let us know when you're ready to have a real conversation about issues like tax policy, public safety and education," he said, directing his comment at Feibush.

While the mayor's race has been slow to start, the race for the Second District seat has been rolling for months. Feibush is a real estate developer based primarily in Point Breeze, a neighborhood that has been booming in recent years with new construction, causing some clashes with the longtime residents. It's also the where Johnson grew up. He has been promoting affordable housing as a way to keep gentrification from steamrolling the neighborhood.

This is only the latest acrimonious twist in the race.

Feibush is currently suing Johnson in federal court, claiming the councilman prevented him from buying city lots he planned to develop as a form of political retribution.

At Johnson's campaign kickoff Saturday, Mayor Nutter stoked the fire, telling the crowd, according to a Johnson campaign staffer on Twitter: "We're not going to let some little jerk with a big checkbook steal this election."