Corporation counsel nominee Randy Mastro made an impassioned case for himself in a confirmation hearing Tuesday, rattling off his work taking on the Mafia and defending thousands of indigent clients in pro bono cases.
But a skeptical City Council seemed unmoved, questioning him on his record as a top aide to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani along with paid work for landlords and anti-congestion pricing groups — and on whether he’ll represent all of New York City’s interests, not just Mayor Eric Adams.
“To those who say I’ll just be the mayor’s lawyer, they obviously don’t know me. I am my own man. I stood up to organized crime, mayors, governors, and even presidents when they got it wrong — and won,” Mastro said during his opening remarks.
“You don’t have to guess whether I’ll stand up. I already have.”
A former chief of staff and deputy mayor under Giuliani, since the late 1990s Mastro has worked as an attorney in private practice, most recently at King and Spalding.
To be the city’s top lawyer, though, would be a “dream” he’s spent his whole career moving toward, he said.
Under Giuliani, he helped root the Mob out of control of the Fulton Fish Market and the private carting industry, leading him to require round-the-clock police protection for two and a half years, he said in his testimony.
“I put my life on the line for this city,” he said.
The Giuliani administration, however, was also known for stoking racial tensions in the city, defending police brutality and was the target of a federal discrimination suit — all fodder for Council members’ grilling.
Most members of the 51-member Council have taken stands against Mastro’s appointment since news of his potential appointment broke months ago. Since then, he has worked behind the scenes to hold meetings with anyone who would.
In April, the Council’s Black, Asian, and Latino Caucus, which represents 34 members, immediately announced their opposition, citing his lawsuits against the city and representing “dubious clients.”
Council members who questioned Mastro on Tuesday conveyed skepticism that the self-described “bear in the courtroom” would be the best fit to replace former Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix, who resigned in May.
“How can this Council trust that you will faithfully represent the interests of all of the city’s offices, not just the mayor’s?” asked Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Queens).
Councilmember Keith Powers (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections, asked Mastro about his role in current cases against the City of New York. That includes a lawsuit filed by condo and co-op owners against Local Law 97, which requires buildings to get energy efficiency upgrades, and representing the state of New Jersey in its fight against congestion tolls for vehicles entering Manhattan.
Mastro said he would recuse himself from any suit against the city he’s currently involved in if confirmed to the position.
“I’ve been described as fearless, tenacious, courageous, and I’ll stand up for what is right for the entire city, including the City Council,” he said.
He was also asked about his pro-bono work for the Adams administration, focusing on legal services to asylum seekers, which had not been previously made public.
“It’s not about being beholden to the mayor, I did that work for the city,” he said, adding that he’s volunteered “for every mayor.”
A Concerted Push
The hearing comes after a months-long public relations campaign from Mastro and the Adams administration after news first broke in April that he was being considered for the role. When Hinds-Radix stepped down, some reports said she left after disagreeing over a decision to have the city represent the mayor in a case alleging Adams committed sexual assault while serving in the NYPD. The mayor denied this and denies the allegations.
The Council, which gained appointment powers over the corporation counsel via a 2019 revision to the City Charter, is expected to vote on his nomination before its next full meeting, scheduled for Sept. 12.
Council members’ own questions ran into the evening, long before the period allotted for members of the public to testify — including supporters such as former Gov. David Paterson. anyone from the public could speak for or against.
While Council members’ questioning entered its sixth hour, the mayor’s team gathered many Mastro supporters inside the Governor’s Room at City Hall, where they attested to what they described as his legal skill and character. Most expressed dismay over a long hearing they suggested wouldn’t convince the Council to approve him.
Veronica Moyé, a partner at King & Spalding with Mastro, said he had supported her career and growth in a field that isn’t always welcoming to Black women.
“What has been so frustrating for me sitting through this hearing is listening to the effort to try to conflate the Giuiliani record on diversity and inclusion and racial justice with Randy Mastro,” she said.
“You don’t see many Black women in my position, because there are not enough Randys.”
But Bertha Lewis, the founder and president of the Black Institute, told THE CITY before her testimony that she was “vehemently” against the Mastro nomination.
“You weren’t a public defender. You made a choice to represent this client or that client, you made a choice to go into the Giuiliani administration,” she said.
She believes there are plenty of other better candidates for the job.
“You can’t walk 10 feet without tripping over an attorney in New York City,” she quipped. “Why is this the singular man that we would put up to be corp counsel? No, no, no, no. Do a little bit more due diligence and look somewhere else.”
