Mamdani Overhauls Hiring After Aide Resigns Over Antisemitic Comments
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team announced on Friday that it plans to engage an external legal team to assist in vetting prospective hires, in light of the sudden resignation of an appointee due to antisemitic social media posts from over ten years ago. Mr. Mamdani stated during a news conference on Staten Island that he had not been aware of the social media posts made by the appointee, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, until the Anti-Defamation League highlighted them on Thursday. Mr. Mamdani appointed Ms. Da Costa as his director of appointments, a role in which she would oversee hiring at City Hall, just the day prior. He stated, “I would not have hired her had I known what she had written.” Ms. Da Costa resigned hours after the Anti-Defamation League highlighted the comments in question, which included labeling Jewish people as “money hungry” and referring to a subway route as the “Jew train.” Mr. Mamdani stated that there are “clear changes that need to be made” to the transition committee’s vetting process and that those changes are “underway.”
“I was not aware of these posts and I would not have hired her,” Mr. Mamdani stated, where he revealed his selections for deputy mayors of housing and economic justice. The process of vetting candidates for positions within the Mamdani administration is being conducted by an internal team comprising paid lawyers and members of the transition team, under the supervision of executive director Elana Leopold. An external firm, currently in the process of being hired and not yet identified, will collaborate with the internal team regarding potential candidates. The external firm will additionally assess individuals who have already been appointed, placing particular focus on the senior positions. “This unacceptable oversight in the vetting process does not meet the mayor-elect’s standards for this transition or the incoming administration,” said Dora Pekec. “We’ve taken swift action to bring on an independent firm for additional support.”
With just two weeks remaining before assuming office, Mr. Mamdani has appointed three deputy mayors, a chief of staff, and a budget director. He has also confirmed that he will retain police commissioner Jessica Tisch, who has consented to continue in her role. Among the crucial positions that remain vacant are the schools chancellor and the health commissioner. He will become the city’s first Muslim mayor when he is sworn in at midnight on Jan. 1. He has faced clashes with some Jewish New Yorkers due to his stance on issues such as the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state and the actions of the Israeli government in the war in Gaza. New York City boasts the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel. Mr. Mamdani has taken steps to strengthen his ties with the city’s Jewish residents. He has engaged with multiple Hasidic sects and the New York Board of Rabbis.
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch expressed gratitude that Mr. Mamdani accepted Ms. Da Costa’s resignation. However, he noted that he was not surprised by the controversy surrounding the social media posts, given the positions held by Mr. Mamdani and his supporters regarding Israel. “It was something that should have been expected because the people who are interested in supporting the mayor’s campaign and serving in the administration, that group of people, that bench, is filled with individuals who have a particular and acute animus to the existence of the state of Israel,” Rabbi Hirsch said in an interview. At the news conference, Mr. Mamdani expressed his dedication, stating that he had not only “a commitment to keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe” but also to “celebrating and cherishing Jewish workers in the city.” Lincoln Restler stated that he had known Ms. Da Costa since their time together on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s transition team. Mr. Restler stated that the antisemitic posts, while unacceptable, were created during her youth and should not be considered a measure of Mr. Mamdani’s dedication to Jewish New Yorkers. “The mayor-elect has worked to build stronger relationships with the Jewish community across the five boroughs,” Mr. Restler stated. “And I know he is committed to deepening those ties, strengthening those lines of communication and ensuring the safety and well-being of Jewish New Yorkers.” On Thursday, Ms. Da Costa stated, “deep regret for my past statements. These statements are not indicative of who I am,” she continued. “As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused. As this has become a distraction from the work at hand, I have offered my resignation.” Ricky M. Da Costa stood by his wife’s side in defense. “As the Jew who married Cat, I can guarantee she has grown so much since dumb tweets when she was 19,” he wrote on X. “Her remorse, like everything else about her, is deeply genuine, and she works tirelessly for a NYC where everyone is safe.”
