(AFP) – An official appointed by incoming New York mayor Zohran Mamdani to a senior role in his transition team resigned one day later on Thursday after past antisemitic posts on social media emerged, US media reported. The Muslim mayor-elect faced repeated accusations of antisemitism during the mayoral campaign over his strident support for the Palestinian cause, and conservative figures have vowed to closely scrutinize his administration when he takes office on January 1.
Catherine Almonte Da Costa, Mamdani’s “head of appointments,” stepped down after antisemitic statements in old Twitter posts from 2011 surfaced, NBC News reported. The posts were uncovered by The Judge Street Journal newsletter. She had appeared alongside Mamdani at a press event on Wednesday following her appointment.
“I spoke with the Mayor-elect this afternoon, apologized, and expressed my deep regret for my past statements. These statements are not indicative of who I am,” Da Costa told the online outlet. “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.”
“Money hungry Jews smh (shaking my head),” Da Costa allegedly posted on X on January 4, 2011. The account, which had been used to post several other antisemitic tropes, is no longer online. Mamdani’s transition team did not comment.
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