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Mamdani Appointments Chief Resigns After Old Antisemitic Posts Surface

The abrupt exit intensified scrutiny of the transition’s vetting, including from the Anti-Defamation League.

Overview

  • Catherine Almonte Da Costa stepped down one day after being named director of appointments, and Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani said he accepted her resignation.
  • Screenshots of 2011–2012 posts showed phrases such as “Money hungry Jews” and “Far Rockaway train is the Jew train,” and her X account was later deleted.
  • Da Costa apologized, said the decade‑old statements do not reflect who she is now, and noted she is the mother of Jewish children.
  • The ADL called the posts indefensible and questioned whether Mamdani’s team knew of them, while political insiders raised concerns about the transition’s vetting.
  • Even as the controversy unfolded, Mamdani named veteran City Hall official Sherif Soliman as director of the Office of Management and Budget to prepare for fiscal challenges.