Key Mamdani Appointee Resigns Over Antisemitic Posts

A key appointee to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team has resigned after old social media posts containing antisemitic language were made public.

Catherine Almonte Da Costa stepped down from her role as Mamdani’s director of appointments. Her departure followed a report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group that fights antisemitism, which publicized the decade-old posts [29895]. The posts contained prejudiced language against Jewish people, including the phrase "money hungry Jews" [29872].

Mayor-elect Mamdani’s office confirmed the resignation, stating the assemblyman found the posts "unacceptable" [29872]. Da Costa had been appointed to the position just last week [29872].

This incident highlights the intense scrutiny facing new political appointees over their past statements. It marks an early challenge for the incoming administration, which has also faced criticism over other personnel choices [21108][16658]. The mayor-elect's office has not yet named a replacement for Da Costa [29895].