NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� One of 鈥檚 appointees has resigned over social media posts she made more than a decade ago that featured antisemitic tropes, Mamdani鈥檚 office said Thursday.
In a statement, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, who was tapped this week to join the incoming administration, said she expressed 鈥渄eep regret鈥� for the posts, which date back to 2011 and 2012 and were recently shared online by the Anti-Defamation League.
鈥淭hese 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,鈥� Da Costa said.
She had been selected to lead Mamdani’s office of appointments, handling 鈥渢alent recruitment strategy.” Da Costa worked in the office more than a decade ago and more recently held roles at a private communications firm and at Sotheby鈥檚, the mayor-elect’s office said.
Mamdani has accepted her resignation, his spokesperson confirmed.
鈥淐atherine expressed her deep remorse over her past statements and tendered her resignation, and I accepted,” Mamdani said.
The Anti-Defamation League declined to comment after Da Costa鈥檚 resignation. The prominent Jewish advocacy organization had shared three tweets from Da Costa that it said 鈥渆cho classic antisemitic tropes and otherwise demean Jewish people.”
Following Mamdani’s election in November, the group a new tool 鈥渢o track and monitor policies and personnel鈥� hired by Mamdani, who has been heavily critical of Israel.
Mamdani, who takes office next month, has been under intense pressure to show that his opposition of Israel’s military actions in Gaza do not amount to antisemitism. During his campaign, Mamdani drew criticism for refusing to condemn the phrase 鈥済lobalize the intifada,鈥� though he has more recently said he discourages people from using it.
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