Adl Audit Exposes Mamdani Transition Team Members Who Engaged In

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 28, 2025, 6:12 AM

adl audit exposes mamdani transition team members who engaged in

Among the appointees, Kazi Fouzia called Oct. 7 justified and Mohammed Karim Chowdhury said Zionists are worse than Nazis New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York on November 4, 2025. A new report by the Anti-Defamation League highlights several members of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team who have used antisemitic tropes and justified Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, among other issues the group flags as “deeply troubling” and that raise further questions about his vetting process. The document, published on Monday, comes days after the ADL uncovered antisemitic comments by a top transition appointee, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, who had denigrated Jews in a series of past social media posts.

Da Costa resigned shortly after the posts were publicized amid backlash from critics. Mamdani said last week that he was unaware of those comments and would hire an outside legal team to assist with the vetting process as he staffs his administration — noting “clear changes that... Mamdani’s latest Jewish commissioner pick rejected the allegations of antisemitism. This piece first ran as part of the New York Jewish Week’s daily newsletter, rounding up the latest on politics, culture, food and what’s new with Jews in the city. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. The Anti-Defamation League accused Mamdani of packing his transition team with people linked to “antisemitic, anti-Zionist, or anti-Israel activities” in a report on Monday, sparking backlash from some liberal Jewish groups.

The second update to the ADL’s “Mamdani monitor” charged that 20% of the 400 people on Mamdani’s transition team have ties to groups that “openly promote terror and harass Jewish people.” As examples of... The ADL also singled out members for participating in anti-Israel campus encampments. It noted individuals who made a range of statements, including that “resistance” was justified after the 2023 Hamas attack and that “Zionists are never Jews.” A lawyer serving on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team has a track record of praising and associating with Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader infamous for his bigoted rhetoric about Jews and others,... The details about Jacques Léandre, a local election lawyer who serves on the Mamdani transition’s Committee on Legal Affairs, were contained in a report set to be released Monday by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL, which focuses on fighting antisemitism, has been screening Mamdani transition advisers for comments seen as hateful against Jewish people.

Last week, the ADL disclosed it had discovered Mamdani’s incoming City Hall appointments director, Cat Almonte Da Costa, made offensive social media posts about Jews when she was a teenager, prompting her to apologize... The revelations touch on a sensitive issue for Mamdani. The mayor-elect’s stances on Israel, such as his support for divesting from the country in response to its treatment of Palestinians, have sparked criticism that his positions promote antisemitism, a charge he vehemently denies. The latest ADL report, a copy of which was shared with the Daily News ahead of its publication, alleges roughly 20% of Mamdani’s 400 transition team members have a record of what the ADL... New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani responded this week to a devastating report on allegations of widespread anti-Semitism among the 400 members of his newly appointed transition committees. The Anti-Defamation League published a report on Monday digging into the past social media history of some of Mamdani’s appointees and found that at least 20% showed anti-Zionist sentiments and some who dabbled in...

The ADL found a member of Mamdani’s transition team repeatedly praised anti-Semitic Nation of Islam head Louis Farrakhan. Others wrote things like “resistance” is justified in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s horrific Oct. 7 attack on civilian communities in southern Israel. The ADL report came just days after Mamdani’s Director of Appointments Catherine Almonte Da Costa resigned over past antisemitic tweets. Mamdani was asked about the report during a Monday press conference, “We all saw that Da Costa stepped down, and if you might be aware, the ADL just released a report on the more... Among that report, they identified Ms.

Ansari, who posted a cartoon depicting Israel as a dog. There was another person on the Committee on Worker Justice, Kazi Fouzia, who said resistance is justified hours after October 7. Someone else saying Zionism is racism from the Committee on Legal Affairs, someone from the Committee on Worker Justice who shared a post that said Zionists are worse than the Inquisition and the Nazis. Will the policy of your administration be to reject candidates who are actually hired to your administration when they express anti-Semitic positions or have anti-Semitic statements in the past? Are you going to automatically reject them from your administration? Were any of these statements or these people that I identified, or that were identified in the report, were these already flagged or identified by your transition team?”

At least 20 percent of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s administrative appointees have links to anti-Zionist and antisemitic activist organizations in the United States, including Students for Justice in Palestine, which supports Hamas,... The ADL said the findings were based on a review of more than 400 individuals selected for roles in Mamdani’s administration. During a Monday press conference, Mamdani was asked whether statements cited in the ADL report, including support for Hamas and Oct. 7, and the description of “Zionists” as worse than Nazis, would disqualify any appointees. He refused to give a direct answer, saying, “I have always spoken out against antisemitism and hatred in any form and have made it clear that the commitment that I have made to protect... Pressed again, Mamdani once again dodged the question.

“We must distinguish between antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli government and the ADL’s report oftentimes ignores this distinction, and in doing so, it draws attention away from the very real crisis of antisemitism,”... The ADL report follows recent media revelations that led to the resignation of Catherine Almonte Da Costa from a senior role on Mamdani’s transition team after she referred to “money hungry Jews” and made... In the wake of the exposure, Mamdani pledged to strengthen vetting procedures for appointees, though he did not provide details. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has issued a detailed report expressing concern over appointments to New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani’s transition team, citing alleged antisemitic statements, anti-Israel activity, and associations among a significant number... According to the ADL report, the organization has closely monitored the mayor-elect’s transition team, Transition Committee appointments, public statements, and early policy signals. ADL stated that it remains deeply concerned that some of these developments could affect the safety and security of New York City’s Jewish community.

The report highlights the December 17 appointment of Catherine Almonte Da Costa as Director of Appointments, a senior role responsible for recruiting and staffing the incoming administration. ADL said it identified antisemitic social media posts made by Da Costa between 2011 and 2012, including references to “money hungry Jews” and other classic antisemitic tropes. ADL described the posts as “indefensible.” Da Costa resigned on December 18, less than 24 hours after the findings were made public. Mamdani later told reporters that his team was changing its vetting process and said the administration would operate under a “standard of excellence,” including accountability when standards are not met. ADL reported that on November 24, Mamdani announced more than 400 individuals appointed to serve on 17 Transition Committees tasked with recruiting senior staff and shaping policy direction. Following its review, ADL said that at least 20 percent of the appointees have a documented history of engaging in antisemitic, anti-Zionist, or anti-Israel rhetoric, or have ties to organizations that promote such views.

According to the report, the activities identified by ADL include spreading classic antisemitic tropes, vilifying supporters of Jewish self-determination, undermining the legitimacy of the State of Israel, expressing support for Hamas and its October... ADL emphasized that it distinguishes between legitimate criticism of Israeli government policy and antisemitism.

Adl Audit Exposes Mamdani Transition Team Members Who Engaged In

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