Major Mamdani Appointee Resigns After Antisemitic Tweets Resurface

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s choice to lead his appointments office stepped down Thursday afternoon after past antisemitic social media posts, including remarks about “money hungry Jews” resurfaced publicly, Jewish Insider reported Thursday.

“Catherine expressed her deep remorse over her past statements and tendered her resignation, and [Mamdani] accepted,” said Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the mayor-elect’s transition team, in a statement to Jewish Insider.

Catherine Almonte Da Costa, who previously worked as an executive assistant to former Mayor Bill DeBlasio, had been named director of appointments by Mamdani on Wednesday. Screenshots of antisemitic posts she published in 2011 and 2012 were later obtained by the Judge Street Journal. After the outlet reported on the posts Thursday, the account — along with the comments — was taken down.

“Money hungry Jews smh,” Da Costa wrote on X in January 2011, according to the screenshots.

Several months later, in June 2011, she posted: “Woo! Promoted to the upstairs office today! Working alongside these rich Jewish peeps.”

In another post from June 2012, Da Costa referred to the “Far Rockaway train” as the “Jew train,” referencing the area’s large Jewish population.

Announcing her resignation Thursday, Da Costa said she “spoke with the Mayor-elect this afternoon, apologized, and expressed my deep regret for my past statements. These 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. As this has become a distraction from the work at hand, I have offered my resignation.”

Prior to her resignation, the Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey publicly condemned the posts, writing on X that they “echo classic antisemitic tropes and otherwise demean Jewish people.”

“We appreciate Da Costa has relationships with members of the Jewish community, but her posts require immediate explanation — not just from Ms. Da Costa, but also from the Mayor-Elect,” the ADL said in a statement.

The controversy adds to growing concerns among Jewish leaders over several of Mamdani’s transition appointments. Skepticism remains about the mayor-elect, who is set to take office on Jan. 1, and his stated commitment to combating antisemitism.

One of the most disputed selections has been Tamika Mallory — a former Women’s March leader who left its board amid accusations of antisemitism — who was named to a newly created community safety committee.