Mayor Zohran Mamdani:\u00a0Good morning, everyone. We are together today in City Hall, mere steps away from one of our city’s greatest civic buildings. From many windows in City Hall, including my office, you can see Tweed Courthouse, where so much of the vital work of the New York City public school systems and other municipal agencies is done. Today, Tweed Courthouse is a testament to the power of City government to improve New Yorkers’ lives. Tweed, however, is named after Boss Tweed, the Tammany Hall boss who ran his political machine through a well-oiled system of patronage and graft. The name is also a reminder of the culture of corruption that has long permeated our politics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
And while we can look back in amazement at a project that cost as much as 56 times its original budget, where a single carpenter was paid over $360,000, in 1860s dollars, for one month’s work, we know that that culture of corruption is no relic of the past, nor is anyone amused today when working New Yorkers’ hard-earned dollars are wasted and abused by those who dare to betray the public trust. When many New Yorkers cast their ballots in November, they\u00a0didn’t\u00a0just vote for an agenda that prioritized affordability and dignity for every working New Yorker. Many also voted for a new kind of City Hall, one where the expectation would be that their elected officials were working for the people and not themselves, that when those fortunate enough to work for the city came to work each morning, they were motivated not by a desire to line their own pockets, but by a genuine commitment to service.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we strive to deliver a new era, fulfilling that expectation is at the heart of our mission, not solely because New Yorkers deserve nothing less, but because it is only by fostering a culture of competence, transparency, and honesty that we can restore a diminished faith in our democracy. There will be zero tolerance for self-enrichment or corruption in my City Hall. But words are not enough, they must be backed up by action and accountability.\u00a0That’s\u00a0why we are here together today, to announce the leader who will be tasked with holding City government to the highest standard, and in so doing, to set a new standard for ourselves.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
I am delighted to announce that I am nominating Nadia\u00a0Shihata\u00a0to serve as the commissioner of the Department of Investigation. In this role, Nadia will oversee an independent oversight body tasked with rooting out corruption, fraud,\u00a0waste\u00a0and abuse across City government. And she will hold the responsibility of investigating any agency, officer, elected official, or employee of the city who does not fulfill the public trust, as well as leading investigations into those who do business with or receive benefits from the city. This is a tremendously\u00a0important role, and I can think of no one more scrupulous or prepared to hold it than Nadia.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
She served as a federal prosecutor within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District for more than a decade, where she investigated racketeering and violent crimes as the chief of the Organized Crime Section. Before that, she held the role of deputy chief of the Public Integrity Section, where she supervised much of the same work that she will lead at DOI. When Nadia left the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she co-founded a law firm, crossed the courtroom aisle, and worked as a defense attorney and on civil rights cases, further\u00a0demonstrating\u00a0her commitment to fairness for all and the rule of law.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hers is a historic appointment, the first woman of color to ever hold this role. I am immensely grateful to Nadia for returning to public service, and I look forward to ushering in a new era of public excellence together. I will close with this. I understand why many New Yorkers are loath to place their faith in government. They have been betrayed before. They do not want to allow themselves to hope that things have changed only to be betrayed again. It will take time, accountability, and genuine commitment to these values to win back that trust. We are taking one step in that direction today, just one of many, many more over the years to come. Thank you very much. And now, our nominee, Nadia\u00a0Shihata.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Commissioner Nadia\u00a0Shihata, Department of Investigation:\u00a0Thank you, Mayor Mamdani, for those kind words. I am deeply honored and humbled by this nomination, and truly excited at the prospect of returning to public service, where I have spent most of my career, whether as a law clerk to a federal judge, a prosecutor at a U.N. war crimes tribunal, or until a few years ago as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn. Most recently, I co-founded a women-owned boutique law firm here in the city, specializing in the representation of survivors of sexual violence and harassment, victims of law enforcement misconduct, and individuals under investigation by the government.
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\nAs a naturalized citizen and proud Egyptian American, the opportunity to give back and serve a city that continues to welcome immigrants means more than I can fully express in words today. For more than 11 years, I had the privilege of serving as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, including as chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Section and deputy chief of the Public Integrity Section. That work demanded independence, respect for the rule of law, and an unwavering commitment to follow the facts and evidence wherever they lead, without fear or favor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
I see the role of commissioner of the Department of Investigation as a continuation of that work\u00a0and also\u00a0a significant expansion to it, given DOI’s important mandate to recommend reforms and policy changes to city agencies. As the city’s inspector general, DOI plays a vital role not only in rooting out corruption, waste, and abuse in City government, but also in preventing it before it happens through strong oversight and smart, forward-looking policy recommendations. At its best, DOI helps ensure that City government can tackle big challenges effectively and efficiently, while\u00a0operating\u00a0with integrity, accountability, and fairness for all New Yorkers, no matter their background, economic status, or proximity to power. If confirmed by the City Council, I will lead DOI with independence, fairness, and transparency alongside the dedicated professionals at DOI who carry out this essential work every day. Thank you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0What’s\u00a0going to happen to the outstanding DOI investigations? Are they going to be carried over by your administration?\u00a0And also, are you confident that the Adams administration is running DOI honestly, without corruption?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0I can say that the\u00a0previous\u00a0commissioner who served underneath the administration, she did so [by] performing an extraordinary job at rooting out corruption at the highest levels of government. And we are going to build on that work here in our administration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0And the DOI, the\u00a0previous\u00a0investigations, are they going to continue under your administration?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0That is work that will be built upon in our administration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0We reported at WNYC earlier this week that New York City’s unlicensed towing industry is now equal in size to the number of licensed vehicles on the streets, and\u00a0it’s\u00a0also among the most complained-about industries in DCWP’s portfolio. What do you think about the enforcement strategy there, and would you do anything to change it?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0I think,\u00a0first and foremost, thank you for highlighting this issue. And clearly,\u00a0it’s\u00a0not something that is working to the best of its ability,\u00a0it’s\u00a0something that we will follow up on. Thank you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0Mr. Mayor,\u00a0I’m\u00a0sorry for asking you a question that\u00a0you’ve\u00a0already been asked, but we\u00a0haven’t\u00a0really gotten a clear answer. You said as a candidate, and\u00a0you’ve\u00a0reiterated as mayor, that you\u00a0don’t\u00a0support the NYPD’s criminal crackdown on cyclists. Since taking office,\u00a0you’ve\u00a0said that your conversations with Commissioner Tisch are continuing about this. Why do you continue to allow the commissioner to enforce a policy that you say you oppose? I watched two cyclists get criminal summonses just today on Delancey and Suffolk Street at the red light there.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0So,\u00a0that’s\u00a0a policy that was in place in the prior administration. It has continued thus far. It is the subject of internal conversations. We will have an update on that very soon, as to what the new policy will be.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0So, the shootings that happened in the Bronx last night, a 16-year-old boy was killed, a 13-year-old girl was injured. There was another shooting in the subway system the day prior. Have you spoken with Commissioner Tisch about possible preventative measures being sent to this neighborhood to prevent any retaliation? Are you considering sending any\u00a0additional\u00a0resources within the NYPD and community outreach groups to watch this neighborhood go forward?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0So, I am in regular communication with our police commissioner. The different incidents that\u00a0you’ve\u00a0highlighted are heartbreaking and horrific. And\u00a0I’m\u00a0thankful for the work of the NYPD, not only in responding to them, but also in the actions\u00a0they’re\u00a0taking to ensure that we work to prevent them in the future. That is work that is ongoing, and we will continue to focus on delivering that public safety to New Yorkers.\u00a0
\n\u00a0\u00a0
\nQuestion:\u00a0Have you spoken with Commissioner Tisch about these shootings, and do you plan to send any\u00a0additional\u00a0resources to the neighborhood?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0Those are conversations that are ongoing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
[Crosstalk.]\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0What do you worry about most for New York City? You were\u00a0elected\u00a0on big promises, now\u00a0you’ve\u00a0got the top job.\u00a0What’s\u00a0keeping you up at night?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0The number one crisis that New Yorkers are facing is a crisis of affordability. This is both the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world,\u00a0and also\u00a0one where one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty.\u00a0It’s\u00a0the most expensive city in the United States of America. And every day I meet people who are working day and night in this\u00a0city, but\u00a0can’t\u00a0even afford to live in this city any longer. And so, we are constantly asking ourselves how we can address this cost-of-living crisis.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
I’m proud that on day eight, we took an immense step forward in our plans for universal childcare, securing more than a billion dollars in funding from the state to not only fix childcare for three-year-olds, what we call 3K, but also to start to deliver childcare for two-year-olds, what we call 2K. That is one of the foremost crisis-facing working families. Our focus continues, however, on the housing, on public transit, and on any other place which is squeezing New Yorkers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0The cost of living is a global issue, and the world is watching you.\u00a0That’s\u00a0why\u00a0I’m\u00a0here. Are you worried that you may have over-promised or could under-deliver?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0No, the promises that we made were at the scale of the crisis that New Yorkers are facing. We spoke about the need to deliver universal childcare, the need for tenants of rent-stabilized housing to have their rents frozen, the need for the slowest buses in America to be fast and free.\u00a0We’re\u00a0delivering that progress, and we also know that it continues\u00a0each and every\u00a0day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0My question is for the commissioner. You had mentioned that you\u00a0represented\u00a0people who were being investigated by the government. So, you said you\u00a0represented\u00a0people being investigated by the government. Do you\u00a0anticipate\u00a0recusing yourself from any specific ongoing DOI investigations, and if so, which ones?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Commissioner\u00a0Shihata:\u00a0I did not\u00a0represent\u00a0anyone being investigated by DOI. I left my law firm a few months ago, and so I\u00a0don’t\u00a0anticipate\u00a0needing to recuse myself from anything. But, of course, if something were to come up that\u00a0I’m\u00a0not aware of at this time, I would follow the proper recusal advice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0Mr. Mayor, I have two questions.\u00a0First of all, I want to talk to you about the deaths that happened because of the cold. You know, we previously were able to get information from the NYPD. Now\u00a0it’s\u00a0only coming from City Hall.\u00a0I’m\u00a0wondering why the policy changed. My second question has to do with the budget. I know that you want to have Albany pass these tax hikes on corporations and on the wealthy, but if they refuse to do it, given the fact that it’s an election year and the governor said she doesn’t want to do it, will you have no other choice but to raise the only tax you can raise, which is the property tax?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0I am encouraged by the conversations\u00a0we’ve\u00a0been having, not only with the governor but also with legislative leaders in Albany, and these are conversations about putting the city back on firm financial footing. When I was standing here in this room weeks ago announcing the fact that our conclusions were coming to the same level of assessment, at the very least, as the previous city comptroller, the current city \u00a0comptroller, and the current state comptroller, we also said that we would then be updating those assessments as we got more information about Wall Street bonuses, as we got more information about the economic forecast, and as we also took savings measures of our own. And so, in that time since, as I shared yesterday in Albany, that $12 billion deficit is now one that we have been able to bring down to $7 billion, and that’s, in part, because of the revenues, the Wall Street bonuses, also an aggressive savings plan, and the use of in-year reserves. I am encouraged by the conversations\u00a0we’re\u00a0having with Albany about how we can bridge that $7 billion gap for these next two fiscal years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
I’m encouraged by where we are, and I’ll tell you that I think that the most straightforward ways of dealing with this are structural measures, whether it be the taxation of the wealthiest New Yorkers, increasing taxes on the most profitable corporations, as well as by ending the drain, the relationship between the city and the state.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0You changed your policy in terms of getting information about the cold deaths, people who died from hypothermia. The NYPD used to give information. Now we can only get it from City Hall. Sometimes we get it, and sometimes we\u00a0don\u2019t. Why would you change policy in the middle of a cold snap?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0To my understanding,\u00a0we’ve\u00a0continued the policy as it has been.\u00a0We’ve\u00a0sought\u00a0to be transparent with New Yorkers about this information.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0I just want to ask you about\u00a0\u2014\u00a0there’s\u00a0reporting out there that\u00a0you’re\u00a0going to meet with the Minnesota mayor. Can you tell me when that meeting is going to happen, what you plan to discuss? And then separately, something that you were asked about during the budget hearing yesterday, but we\u00a0didn’t\u00a0really get answers.\u00a0You’re\u00a0trying to change this, I guess, the amount of taxes that we put into the State that we get back. But you were pressed on this by fellow Democrats. How do you justify this as progressive, that something like\u00a0\u2014\u00a0somebody could say, \u201cWell, Manhattan should get more of the tax revenue because they have the,\u00a0I guess, wealth concentration, [as] opposed to a place like the Bronx or any of the outer boroughs\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0So,\u00a0I’ll\u00a0start with the second question, and then you can bring me back to the first. First, we want to create a new era of politics where\u00a0it’s\u00a0not just a debate about how to distribute the same pie, but how we can\u00a0actually grow\u00a0that same pie. And for too long,\u00a0we’ve\u00a0seen a politics which is pitting other parts of the state against each other. What\u00a0we’re\u00a0talking about also is the potential for\u00a0additional\u00a0revenues to ensure that a place like Dunkirk that was mentioned yesterday in the hearing, as well as a place like New York City,\u00a0is able to\u00a0actually meet\u00a0the needs of its residents. And what we saw is that the gap between what New York City contributes to the state revenues versus what it receives from the state is one that only was\u00a0exacerbated\u00a0under the former governor’s leadership. We saw that gap now extend to more than about 14 percentage points, 54.5 versus 40.5, in terms of\u00a0what’s\u00a0sent versus\u00a0what’s\u00a0received. And this has taken the form of a number of specific cuts and cost-sharing moves over the years, whether it be the exclusion of New York City from AIM funding, whether it be the shift in the way we’re getting reimbursements for certain programs in a like that is not comparable to other municipalities. And\u00a0we’re\u00a0encouraged by a vision of that relationship that is separate. And then to your first question,\u00a0we’ll\u00a0be having that meeting later this afternoon.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question: Do you have any idea of what\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0talk about with the mayor of Minnesota?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0I look forward to getting to know him\u00a0and also\u00a0to speaking about the importance of protecting each one of our residents, including the immigrants who call both of our\u00a0cities\u00a0home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0I was wondering if you could talk about your decision, or your administration’s decision, to adjourn the case for\u00a0CityFHEPS, for the expansion of the rental vouchers. You talked today about the significance of making the city more affordable. That is a program intended to do that. I understand\u00a0it’s\u00a0very expensive, but nevertheless, it does seem your administration wants to curtail it from what the\u00a0Council is requiring. Can you talk a bit about that?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0Absolutely. So,\u00a0we’ve\u00a0been speaking about the consequences of mismanagement, gross fiscal mismanagement, at the budget level here in our city. And one of the many ways that we’ve seen that is [in the] underbudgeting that took place, especially in the most recent fiscal plan versus what the city knew it had to spend versus what it actually put on its books for what it would have to spend. And, right now,\u00a0we’re\u00a0pursuing a settlement in this case. And that is a pursuit that looks to both prevent homelessness in our city while also delivering a budget that is not just responsible, but also sustainable. And rental\u00a0assistance\u00a0is just one aspect of our city’s approach to delivering a more affordable city. The other aspects also ensure that we keep people in their homes, and we ensure that our city services are delivering a quality of service that keeps New Yorkers being able to live in the city they call home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0How do you keep people out of shelter if\u00a0you’re\u00a0eliminating\u00a0the number of vouchers that are intended to keep them out of shelter?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0We’re\u00a0taking\u00a0a number of\u00a0different measures, I would say. The first is ensuring — for example, by putting together rental ripoff hearings across our city, which will be starting soon, ensuring that tenants actually have recourse when they are facing undue burden from their landlords, that they actually have a contact in city government [and] policies informed by their experiences in city government. We continue to take an all-of-government approach on this.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0While you’re meeting with Mayor Frey, I wanted to ask about\u00a0\u2014\u00a0In Minnesota, with Tom Homan, that there is an agreement to have federal immigration enforcement in local jails, something not only do we not have here, but a lot of progressives and, I believe, yourself oppose\u00a0\u2014\u00a0but I wanted to know if you feel that is a satisfactory settlement on the issue of where ICE can operate in New York City, by having them go to local jails rather than on the streets.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0A satisfactory agreement for Minnesota?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0In Minnesota, why\u00a0\u2014\u00a0tell me about what you think about that in New York. Why is that not a good enough idea for New York to have them go to local jails here?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0I am proud of our sanctuary city policies that we have.\u00a0I believe that our values and our laws\u00a0are not bargaining chips. They are not things for us to be ashamed of. And they are also policies that have\u00a0sought\u00a0and delivered on keeping New Yorker safe over many years.\u00a0I’ll\u00a0let the mayor of Minneapolis speak to the policies there.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0Mr. Mayor, just one quick follow-up on Mayor Frey, too.\u00a0I guess you\u00a0were saying\u00a0you’re\u00a0going to discuss how to protect immigrant New Yorkers. Is this an effort to kind of hash out a joint plan on how to fight back against Donald Trump or is there anything else going on? And separately, co-founder of the group Hot Girls for Zohran got fired from Brad Lander’s campaign. This is someone who has supported you quite vociferously. Were you in contact at all\u00a0\u2014\u00a0or anyone from your team in contact\u00a0\u2014\u00a0with Lander’s team before he hired this consultant? And can you tell us a little bit if you know this man and have at all interacted?\u00a0
\n\u00a0\u00a0
\nMayor Mamdani:\u00a0As\u00a0I’ve\u00a0said repeatedly, if New Yorkers want to know my views, then they can hear it directly from me. This was an individual leading an outside group and was never paid for by our campaign. And to your other question, I’m looking forward to having a conversation with Mayor Frey and also to building relationships with mayors across the country as we chart out how we can respond to the needs of the people that we represent and what we can learn from other cities and also what we can share from the lessons of our own.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Question:\u00a0Mr. Mayor,\u00a0you’re\u00a0going to hold a rental hearing. I want to ask you if you would like to also maybe hold landlord hearings. As many landlords reached out to us, homeowners, they are having trouble with tenants not paying rent or tenants damaging their buildings. What help can they get from the city? And the second question\u00a0\u2014\u00a0it’s\u00a0been a month and a half since you came to this office. How did your vision or dream of becoming a mayor now confront with the reality of the first month?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mamdani:\u00a0This is the privilege of a lifetime to be the mayor of a city that I and so many others love. And\u00a0each and every\u00a0day is an opportunity to deliver for New Yorkers.\u00a0I’ve\u00a0been so proud of the work that our team is doing to do just that, and I know every single day that\u00a0there’s\u00a0more to be done. And frankly, that is something that fills me with a real sense of opportunity and a sense of gratitude to New Yorkers for giving me this position and one that I look to deliver on. And we will continue to have conversations with landlords about how to ensure that this city is meeting their needs. Before I was an Assembly member, I was a foreclosure prevention housing counselor. I would work with low- to moderate-income homeowners across Queens, working to bring them back into an agreement with their lenders, take them out of delinquency. And\u00a0a number of\u00a0them had rented out the other unit in their home to be able to pay their mortgage. So,\u00a0I’m\u00a0quite familiar with the struggles that\u00a0a number of\u00a0small landlords are facing. And our city government is one that is committed to ensuring that we deliver stability, not\u00a0on the basis of\u00a0what status you have in New York City, whether as a\u00a0tenant or a homeowner\u00a0or a landlord, but stability for everyone. And\u00a0we’re\u00a0looking forward to delivering on that.<\/p>\n
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