Mamdani appointee resigns over antisemitic posts after one day on the job

Catherine Almonte Da Costa was tapped by the incoming socialist mayor of New York City to be the city's next director for appointments. Screenshots of the antisemitic posts, some posted in 2012 and 2011, were posted to X.

After the posts were revealed, the staffer—after just one day on the job—resigned. In a statement, she said, “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.”

One of the posts read, "Far Rockaway train is the Jew train." Another stated, "Money hungry Jews smh."

In another post from the account with the handle "@CultureCaat," Da Costa said, "Woo! Promoted to the upstairs office today! Working alongside these rich Jewish peeps."

X account StopAntisemitism said of the posts from Da Costa, "Meet Catherine Almonte Da Costa, Zohran Mamdani’s pick for Director of Appointments in his new administration:

- 'Jew train'

- 'money hungry Jews'

- 'rich Jewish peeps'

"After her old posts resurfaced, she thankfully resigned this afternoon and says she is a mother to Jewish children. Poor kids."

In addition to making the antisemitic posts, she made a post calling NYPD officers "piggies" in a previous post. "I’m going to need a couple of piggy banks to pay these off :/ but no I was referring to the nypd piggies!!!!” she said in 2012.

Mamdani, who has previously refused to condemn the saying, "Globalize the intifada," has been heavily criticized for his apparent warm relationship to some that have been connected to antisemitism. In October, he was slammed for posing and making nice with imam Siraj Wahhaj, who prosecutors said was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Other appointments from Mamdani have also raised some eyebrows, including his chief of staff pick Elle Bisgaard-Church, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) along with Mamdani. Bisgaard-Church met with the DSA on a weekly basis during Mamdani's campaign. She was also behind the core campaign promises of freezing the rent, raising the minimum wage to $30 an hour, and the idea of city-owned grocery stores.