Inside the Transition Team Behind Mayor Zohran Mamdani's 'Sloppy' Vetting Process, Antisemitic Tweets Go Undetected
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration has been thrown into turmoil after it emerged that top transition officials opted not to complete a full vetting process before announcing one of his earliest hires, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, director of appointments. The decision to fast-track Da Costa, who had posted antisemitic tweets over a decade ago, has raised questions about the administration's vetting process and how it was mishandled.
According to sources, Mamdani's team was under pressure to announce key hires quickly, with many comparing their transition to that of former Mayor Bill de Blasio. To meet this timeline, they opted for an initial search of public records to identify potential candidates, but failed to uncover Da Costa's tweets due to her handle not being easily identifiable.
"It was rushed and sloppy," a source said, describing the vetting process as "a critical internal step that likely would have uncovered her tweets." However, despite this oversight, Mamdani announced Da Costa at a press conference without finishing her vetting. This move has sparked criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, which described her tweets as "indefensible."
Da Costa had initially expressed regret over the tweets but maintained she was not "indicative of who I am." However, her appointment created a cascade of problems for the nascent administration. Her resignation one day later led to questions about how the transition team managed its hiring process.
Some senior members of Mamdani's team have expressed frustration over Da Costa's appointment, pointing out that extra scrutiny was warranted given skepticism from business and Jewish communities. The team has since tightened its vetting process and paid $25,000 to a research firm to assist with its research.
Sources within the transition also raised concerns about the administration's reliance on a close-knit circle of former de Blasio aides. Sal Albanese, a former city council member, cautioned that Mamdani could fall prey to groupthink by hiring so many ex-de Blasio officials. While he believes Mamdani will learn from these mistakes, many of his advisers lack institutional knowledge and political instincts to run a government effectively.
The fallout from Da Costa's tweets has also led to finger-pointing among Mamdani's allies, with some expressing frustration over how her appointment was handled. The incident has raised questions about the administration's ability to manage its hiring process and prevent similar oversights in the future.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration has been thrown into turmoil after it emerged that top transition officials opted not to complete a full vetting process before announcing one of his earliest hires, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, director of appointments. The decision to fast-track Da Costa, who had posted antisemitic tweets over a decade ago, has raised questions about the administration's vetting process and how it was mishandled.
According to sources, Mamdani's team was under pressure to announce key hires quickly, with many comparing their transition to that of former Mayor Bill de Blasio. To meet this timeline, they opted for an initial search of public records to identify potential candidates, but failed to uncover Da Costa's tweets due to her handle not being easily identifiable.
"It was rushed and sloppy," a source said, describing the vetting process as "a critical internal step that likely would have uncovered her tweets." However, despite this oversight, Mamdani announced Da Costa at a press conference without finishing her vetting. This move has sparked criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, which described her tweets as "indefensible."
Da Costa had initially expressed regret over the tweets but maintained she was not "indicative of who I am." However, her appointment created a cascade of problems for the nascent administration. Her resignation one day later led to questions about how the transition team managed its hiring process.
Some senior members of Mamdani's team have expressed frustration over Da Costa's appointment, pointing out that extra scrutiny was warranted given skepticism from business and Jewish communities. The team has since tightened its vetting process and paid $25,000 to a research firm to assist with its research.
Sources within the transition also raised concerns about the administration's reliance on a close-knit circle of former de Blasio aides. Sal Albanese, a former city council member, cautioned that Mamdani could fall prey to groupthink by hiring so many ex-de Blasio officials. While he believes Mamdani will learn from these mistakes, many of his advisers lack institutional knowledge and political instincts to run a government effectively.
The fallout from Da Costa's tweets has also led to finger-pointing among Mamdani's allies, with some expressing frustration over how her appointment was handled. The incident has raised questions about the administration's ability to manage its hiring process and prevent similar oversights in the future.
It's just heartbreaking to think that her hateful words could hurt so many people, especially from the Jewish community. I can imagine how frustrating it must be for Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his team to deal with this fallout... 
They're already under pressure to get things done quickly, but it's clear that rushing through the vetting process was a huge mistake. It's like they forgot that words have consequences... 
I hope they take some time to reflect on what happened and make sure something like this never happens again. 
, I mean I know weve all seen cases of people having bad tweets before but this is just crazy. like who gets hired without proper vetting? 
the fact that they rushed through the process and didnt notice her tweets is just mind blown. and now its a huge mess for the mayor and his team. idk what's more surprising, the fact that she was able to hide those tweets or that no one caught them in the first place 
. anyway, i hope they get their act together soon and make sure something like this never happens again 
This whole thing is just wild. I mean, can you believe that people were able to sneak past the vetting process like that? 
It's not okay to let antisemitic tweets slide by without investigating further. The whole situation feels so rushed and sloppy 
. I'm glad that some of Mamdani's team is speaking out about it, but at the same time, it's a shame that they had to go through this in the first place 
. It just goes to show how important it is for administrations to have a solid vetting process in place 
.
. And honestly, I don't think Mayor Mamdani should be under pressure to fill those positions that fast - it's not like the city is going to fall apart without someone in charge for a few months 
. The real question is why we're so quick to assume that people are incompetent just because they made some bad choices online...
10 yrs old tweets shouldn't be overlooked, especially with the Jewish community 
can't believe they rushed through that vetting process like it meant nothing 
Mamdani's team is already getting roasted by the ADL and other groups, but I'm not surprised 
antisemitic tweets should've been a major red flag from the start 
can't trust anyone in this administration yet 
like wut kinda vetting r they even doin? 
da costa's "i'm not dat person" excuse don't cut it, tbh. 
Like, what's up with that? It's not like you can just ignore antisemitic tweets and expect everything to be okay. I mean, I know she apologized and said it wasn't representative of who she is, but still... 
And now we've got this whole mess with Da Costa's resignation and everyone questioning how the transition team managed its hiring process. 
It's just a big mess, you know?
:
and now i'm thinking about how this relates to the overall hiring process 
Mamdani's team should've taken their time, done a proper search, & avoided all this drama 
. I'm not buying it. You can't just rush into something without thinking it through, especially when it comes to hiring key officials.