The transition for New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani took an unexpected turn after the resignation of a high-profile appointee, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, following the resurfacing of antisemitic social media posts. Da Costa stepped down from her newly appointed position as director of appointments just hours after the discovery of her past social media activity, which included several derogatory statements about Jewish people.
According to Gothamist, screenshots of antisemitic tweets from an account associated with Da Costa, including one from 2011 where she referred to "Money hungry Jews" and another from 2012 characterizing the Far Rockaway train as "the Jew train" prompted the Anti-Defamation League and others to call for an explanation. Having apologized and expressed "deep regret" for her past statements, Da Costa said, "As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused." After the tweets, which could no longer be verified due to the deactivation of the associated account, surfaced, Da Costa found herself issuing a statement of deep regret for words that have come to "become a distraction from the work at hand."
Meanwhile, an article from the New York Post also highlighted Da Costa's past comments, including her support for the "Defund the police" movement and derogatory remarks about the NYPD. The mayor-elect's team was quick to distance themselves from the controversy, with Mamdani himself calling the statements "unacceptable" and asserting that they "absolutely do not represent him or the values of his administration."
Questions have been raised by the Anti-Defamation League not only about Da Costa's suitability for her new role but also about the vetting process of the mayor-elect's transition team. The group did not demand Da Costa's resignation but sought immediate explanation from both her and Mamdani. The unfolding events place a spotlight on the careful navigation required by Mamdani, who is set to become New York City's first Muslim mayor. He has faced previous skepticism over his stance toward antisemitism, given his outspoken criticism of Israel and the contentious reaction to protesters using inflammatory language near an Upper East Side synagogue.
Da Costa, with a background in public relations and personnel management, was expected to "bring top talent into this administration," as touted by Mamdani upon her appointment. This recent stepping down throws a shadow over the start of Mamdani's term, indicating the complexities that social media histories can bring to political administrations. With only a handful of appointments announced so far, including the hiring of Sherif Soliman as budget director, it's clear that the mayor-elect's team will have to address and potentially reevaluate their vetting processes moving forward, as per Gothamist.
