Mayor’s Transition Fund Faces Criticism Over Past Posts
Records reveal that Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s transition team spent $25,000 on a public relations firm after controversial social media posts by one of his top appointees resurfaced.
The most recent filing for the Transition Fund shows that Tappan Research received payment for campaign and research consulting services on December 31, 2025. This expenditure was first highlighted by City and State.
The controversy ignited shortly after Catherine Almonte da Costa resigned on December 18, just a day after being named City Hall Appointments Director. Her decade-old posts, which included derogatory remarks about “money-hungry Jews” and the NYPD, came to light, raising significant concern.
Prior to her resignation, da Costa had already attracted scrutiny from Ali Najmi, leading her to seek employment with an external consulting firm. Yet, it seems the transition may have occurred too late, as Mamdani now faces fresh criticism for appointing Shea Weaver, a fellow member of the Democratic Socialist Party of America, to oversee the Mayor’s Office for Tenant Protection.
Weaver has previously made statements suggesting that homeownership is a “weapon of white supremacy” and expressed a desire to “impoverish the white middle class.” Although she later deemed her remarks “regrettable,” Mamdani did not defend her when confronted with the backlash regarding her extreme views.
In the meantime, Najmi was appointed last week as chairman of the Judicial Advisory Committee, which plays a role in selecting judges for family, civil, and criminal courts.
According to reports, Mamdani’s transition raised nearly $4 million, with just under $3 million being spent, leaving approximately $845,000 remaining in the fund.
The mayor secured funding from notable figures, including fashion designer Stephen Madden and Robert Soros, who both contributed the maximum amount of $3,700.
As of Friday, representatives for Mamdani have yet to respond to requests for comments regarding these issues.
