Stefanik Urges Investigation into NYC Health Department

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is calling on U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to investigate Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s Department of Health. Allegations have surfaced that officials misused taxpayer money to form a Global Repression Task Force aimed at criticizing Israeli actions.

As the House Republican Leadership Chair, Stefanik raised concerns that health agency employees might have violated civil rights laws, specifically the ones that forbid discrimination in federally funded agencies.

In a letter dated February 10, she stated, “Using federal funds to endorse or enable government activities that could stray into ideological advocacy or incite hatred poses a significant civil rights and public safety concern.”

She emphasized that “Jewish Americans and all faith communities ought to be safeguarded from discrimination, even those acts attributed to public health.”

Stefanik, who thought about running for governor this year but ultimately decided against it, highlighted a staggering 182% increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York City last January, shortly after Mamdani assumed the mayoral role.

She urged Kennedy and the HHS Inspector General to undertake specific actions, including:

• Initiating a formal probe into whether federally funded resources—staff, equipment, etc.—were utilized to organize, host, or promote the Global Oppression and Public Health Task Force meetings which took place at the department’s Queens office.
• Assessing possible violations of Title VI and relevant HHS civil rights regulations, particularly concerning whether these actions fostered a hostile environment for Jewish employees or the public.
• Evaluating if any external political authorities, like DOH leadership or the mayor’s office, approved these activities and whether standard grant management or internal protocols were adhered to.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also voiced criticism regarding the politicization of the city’s health department, arguing that instead of promoting what he termed a “radical leftist foreign policy,” the health department should concentrate on delivering the services funded by New Yorkers’ taxes.

Recently, it was reported that the Department of Health set up the Global Repression and Public Health Working Group, which held its first meeting during working hours at its headquarters in Long Island City.

During that meeting, a presenter remarked, “We have really evolved in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” referencing the group’s mission statement, according to a video reviewed by the newspaper.

Both Mamdani and the health department have refrained from commenting on the matter, which has drawn criticism from City Council President Julie Menin, a Democrat from Manhattan. Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse also chose not to comment when asked after a recent briefing on overdose prevention, directing inquiries to her spokesperson instead.

As of Thursday, City Hall and the Health Department had not responded to Stefanik’s request for the federal investigation.