In a stunning revelation, sources close to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration have shed light on the rushed and sloppy vetting process that led to the appointment of Catherine Almonte Da Costa as director of appointments. The decision, made in haste without completing the full vetting process, allowed Da Costa's antisemitic tweets from over a decade ago to go undetected.
According to insiders, the rush to assemble Mamdani's team resulted in a lack of thoroughness, which ultimately led to the misstep. "It was rushed and sloppy," one source revealed. The initial vetting process involved a search of public records but failed to uncover Da Costa's controversial social media posts due to an easily identifiable handle.
The incident has sparked outrage, with the Anti-Defamation League labeling the tweets as indefensible. Da Costa herself had apologized for her actions, stating that they were not indicative of who she truly is. However, some senior members of Mamdani's transition team have expressed frustration over how Da Costa was handled, highlighting concerns about potential anti-Semitic moves by the administration.
The fallout has led to increased scrutiny of Mamdani's vetting process, with sources indicating a tightening of procedures. The transition committee has also invested $25,000 in Tappan Research to assist with research processes.
Critics have pointed out that Mamdani's reliance on a close-knit circle of former aides from Mayor Bill de Blasio may be contributing to the problem. Former city council member Sal Albanese cautioned against groupthink, warning that Mamdani could fall prey to this phenomenon by hiring too many ex-de Blasio staff members.
Despite these challenges, some believe that Mamdani's team will learn from their mistakes and develop necessary institutional knowledge and political instincts to run a government effectively. The question now remains whether the administration can regain trust with its citizens and stakeholders after this high-profile misstep.
According to insiders, the rush to assemble Mamdani's team resulted in a lack of thoroughness, which ultimately led to the misstep. "It was rushed and sloppy," one source revealed. The initial vetting process involved a search of public records but failed to uncover Da Costa's controversial social media posts due to an easily identifiable handle.
The incident has sparked outrage, with the Anti-Defamation League labeling the tweets as indefensible. Da Costa herself had apologized for her actions, stating that they were not indicative of who she truly is. However, some senior members of Mamdani's transition team have expressed frustration over how Da Costa was handled, highlighting concerns about potential anti-Semitic moves by the administration.
The fallout has led to increased scrutiny of Mamdani's vetting process, with sources indicating a tightening of procedures. The transition committee has also invested $25,000 in Tappan Research to assist with research processes.
Critics have pointed out that Mamdani's reliance on a close-knit circle of former aides from Mayor Bill de Blasio may be contributing to the problem. Former city council member Sal Albanese cautioned against groupthink, warning that Mamdani could fall prey to this phenomenon by hiring too many ex-de Blasio staff members.
Despite these challenges, some believe that Mamdani's team will learn from their mistakes and develop necessary institutional knowledge and political instincts to run a government effectively. The question now remains whether the administration can regain trust with its citizens and stakeholders after this high-profile misstep.
! I mean, come on, you gotta be thorough in vetting processes, especially for a big position like director of appointments. Don't want some racist vibes coming into the system, you feel? 
And yeah, that groupthink thing is real too... if everyone around you shares similar views, it's hard to spot red flags. Need some diverse perspectives in there too. 
Hope they learn from this mistake and get their act together, 'cause public trust is everything 
. How do we know these people are credible? Are they anonymous? What's their track record on accuracy? I need more info before I start believing this story 
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. Give me some sources, people! 
. Who are they and what's their expertise? Are they some new think tank or just a PR firm? More info needed here 
. I mean, who wants to be part of an admin that can't even get the basics right? 
Catherine Almonte Da Costa's antisemitic tweets are just, like, no 
. And to think she was hired without a thorough vetting process... it's just so messed up 
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. I hope the new admin takes this as a chance to course-correct and develop some new processes, 'kay? 
and to think they were so quick to jump in without a full check, it's like they wanted this to happen. I'm no expert but shouldn't the director of appointments be vetted way more thoroughly than that? The whole thing stinks 
and now we gotta wait and see if Zohran is gonna listen to everyone else or just stick with his buddies 
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, but on the bright side, it seems like his team is gonna be more careful now. Fingers crossed... 
I mean, who makes an appointment without checking social media handles? It's not exactly rocket science 
Apparently, they relied on a small group of familiar faces from the previous mayor's team, which led to some major blind spots. It's not just about vetting processes, though - it's also about having a diverse pool of people to bring in different perspectives 
Mamdani's team should really do a thorough check of all the ex-de Blasio staff members...i mean I get it, loyalty is great but not when it leads to people being chosen because of who they know 
25k from Tappan Research is just the tip of the iceberg though, like what else are they gonna mess up? 
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. I'm hopin' his team learns from their mistakes & gets it together soon. We need 'em to make some good moves ASAP! 
I hope the administration takes this as an opportunity to course-correct and do better vetting in the future. Can't have someone with that kind of history at the helm, you know?