An aide’s old antisemitic tweets force mayor-elect to revamp hiring procedures before taking office
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s incoming administration faced an immediate credibility test when an aide he appointed resigned after the Anti-Defamation League identified antisemitic social media posts she had made over a decade earlier. The controversy forced a public reckoning with questions about whether the transition team adequately vetted appointees and whether the administration shares values with significant segments of its leadership team.
Catherine Almonte Da Costa Steps Down
Hours after the ADL highlighted antisemitic remarks including calling Jewish people “money hungry” and referring to the Far Rockaway train as the “Jew train,” Catherine Almonte Da Costa, newly appointed director of appointments overseeing City Hall hiring, resigned. Mamdani stated he was unaware of the posts and would not have hired Da Costa had he known about them.
A Vetting Process Overhaul
The transition announced it would hire an outside legal firm to review all appointees, with special emphasis on top positions. The internal vetting process, overseen by executive director Elana Leopold, had failed to catch remarks made when Da Costa was 19 years old but widely available on public social media.
The Broader ADL Report
The Da Costa resignation occurred within a larger controversy in which the ADL identified 20 percent of the 400-person transition committee as having ties to anti-Zionist groups or individuals with histories of antisemitic statements. Mamdani disputed the ADL’s characterization, arguing the organization conflates criticism of Israeli government policy with antisemitism.
The Jewish Community Response
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, president of the New York Board of Rabbis, said the controversy was predictable given that Mamdani’s support network includes individuals deeply critical of Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. He welcomed the Da Costa resignation but expressed concern that the broader administration reflects these perspectives.
Mamdani’s Damage Control Efforts
The mayor-elect met with various Hasidic sects and rabbinical organizations to shore up relationships with the city’s substantial Jewish population. He emphasized commitments to keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe and celebrating Jewish workers, attempting to separate his criticisms of Israeli government policy from commitment to the city’s Jewish residents.
What Lies Ahead
The vetting controversy raises questions about whether sufficient scrutiny will prevent similar problems with other appointees and whether the administration can build trust with constituencies that view its ideological commitments as hostile to their interests. Read ADL work at Anti-Defamation League. Understand NYC Jewish community at New York Jewish Community Relations Council. Explore antisemitism issues at U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Learn about vetting procedures through Partnership for Public Service.
