In a renewed controversy for New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani ahead of his swearing in ceremony, a top appointee from his administration has rendered her resignation.
Catherine Almonte Da Costa stepped down from Mamdani’s team after her past online activity was flagged by the Anti-Defamation League of New York/New Jersey and deemed to be ‘anti-Semitic’.
Who is Catherine Almonte Da Costa and what posts did she make?
As director of appointments, Da Costa would have recruited staff for City Hall. She had also promised to help create a government that reflects the city’s diversity in race, faith, language, and geography.
In now deleted X posts, Da Costa had purportedly passed age-old antisemitic stereotypes.
“Money hungry Jews smh,” Da Costa posted on a now-deleted account on X in January 2011, when she was 19 years old.
In another post from June 2012, she wrote, “Far Rockaway train is the Jew train,” appearing to reference the large Jewish communities off the line, Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.
In addition to the antisemitic remarks, other resurfaced posts revealed derogatory comments toward the NYPD, including references to “NYPD piggies,” according to the New York Post.
Da Costa apologised for her remarks
Da Costa has apologised for her past posts. “I spoke with the mayor-elect this afternoon, apologised, and expressed my deep regret for my past statements,” she said in a statement shared by the Mamdani transition team.
“These statements are not indicative of who I am. 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,” she said.
Mamdani also releases statement: Why is his stance controversial?
Mamdani also commented on the matter and said that Catherine had expressed her deep remorse over her past statements.
The incident came as Mamdani’s election roiled the city’s Jewish community, with many expressing fear and discomfort over the mayor-elect’s history of anti-Israel rhetoric and policies.
He had emphasised that he aims to make the city safe and welcoming for all of its residents, including Jews, and has condemned antisemitic rhetoric and displays since his election.
Mamdani will be sworn in on January 1, 2026.