The appointee will lead the elected mayor of New York Zoran MamdaniRecruiting efforts were halted Thursday after anti-Semitic posts resurfaced on social media.
Catherine Almonte da Costa resigned a day after Mamdani appointed her director of appointments, tasked with developing a recruitment strategy for his administration.
“I spoke with the mayor-elect this afternoon and apologized and expressed deep regret for my past statements. These statements are not indicative of who I am,” Da Costa said in a statement issued through Mamdani’s transition team.
“As a mother of Jewish children, I feel a deep sense of sadness and remorse for the harm these words caused. Because it became a distraction from my current work, I have resigned,” she added.
In her remarks after Mamdani announced her appointment on Wednesday, da Costa described “creating a government that is both mission-driven and deeply empowered, a government staffed with diverse leaders with the skills and experience to turn vision into results” and a pipeline of talent “to reflect the rich diversity of race, faith, geography, language and ethnicity that defines the city.”
Social media posts first reported Street Journal Judgea New York-based political newsletter dating back more than a decade. They were first published Anti-Defamation League New York and New Jersey Chapter.
In a 2011 post from a now-deleted Twitter account now known as X, Da Costa referred to “money-hungry Jews,” and in a post the following year she wrote that “the Far Rockaway train is a Jewish train,” according to the newsletter.
The Anti-Defamation League did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment Thursday evening.
The group's New York and New Jersey office. wrote on X that Da Costa's old posts “reflect classic anti-Semitic stereotypes and otherwise disparage Jewish people.”
“Tweeting about ‘money-hungry Jews’ is unacceptable,” the department said. “We appreciate that da Costa maintains relationships with members of the Jewish community, but her messages require immediate explanation – not only from Ms. da Costa, but also from the mayor-elect.”
Mamdani said in a statement that “Catherine expressed deep remorse for her past statements and resigned, and I accepted.”
A spokesman for Mamdani told NBC News that the posts were not discovered during the transition review process.
As Mamdani campaigns to become the city's first Muslim mayor when he is sworn in on January 1, tried to defend myself against accusations of anti-Semitism, especially in relation to his criticism of the Israeli government and argues to opponents that he had no plan to combat anti-Semitism in the city.
Da Costa's resignation follows calls from Jewish groups in the US increased security at public events to guard against acts of anti-Semitism.
Last weekend Two gunmen open fire on Bondi Beach in Australia during the Hanukkah celebration. The surviving suspect faces charges including terrorism and murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 15 people. The suspect's lawyer did not make any statements during a court appearance via video link on Wednesday. Associated Press reported.
