Throughout a generally confrontational listening to Monday, Metropolis Council members questioned the independence of Nadia Shihata, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s nominee for Division of Investigation commissioner, citing her longtime friendship with a high Mamdani aide and $700 in donations she made to the mayor’s marketing campaign.
Shihata insisted she would stay unbiased if she’s confirmed to run the anti-corruption watchdog, vowing to behave “with out concern or favor.”
A number of council members grilled the previous federal prosecutor throughout a guidelines committee listening to on what they noticed as a possible battle of curiosity. Of key concern was her relationship with Mamdani’s chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem.
The investigations division has a key oversight operate. Underneath Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, the division contributed to probes that led to prison prices towards Adams, his chief advisor, his buildings commissioner and the official in control of metropolis leases.
On Monday, council members repeatedly pressed Shihata on the query of her independence from Mamdani and his chief counsel.
Councilmember Shaun Abreu, D-Higher Manhattan, stated that within the questionnaire she submitted to the council, Shihata had revealed that Kassem had requested her to use for the DOI slot. She referred to as {that a} “mischaracterization.”
Shihata acknowledged that she’d met Kassem years in the past after regulation faculty, had socialized with him once in a while, and solicited his recommendation when she left the Brooklyn U.S. Legal professional’s workplace in 2022 to kind her personal regulation agency.
However Shihata sought to reduce these connections, insisting that Kassem had not inspired her to use for the job however contacted her to merely ask her if she “could be .” And whereas she acknowledged they “have stored in contact over time, stored in contact periodically,” she famous, “It has not been an in depth friendship.”
When Abreu requested Shihata what she would do if Kassem turned the goal of a DOI probe on her watch and if she would voluntarily take away herself from the investigation, she stated, “Underneath the circumstances, that’s doubtless,” including she would finally comply with the recusal recommendation of DOI’s normal counsel.
Councilmember Nantasha Williams, D-Southeast Queens, zeroed in on Shihata’s 4 donations to Mamdani’s marketing campaign – a complete of $700 over a number of months. Shihata admitted that whereas she’d made donations prior to now to federal candidates, she’d by no means contributed to every other municipal marketing campaign. She admitted she had canvassed for Mamdani “for a few hours” on one night throughout the mayoral marketing campaign.
Shihata says she’ll watch Mamdani ‘with out concern or favor’
Noting her “repeated” donations to the mayor, the canvassing exercise and the truth that Mamdani was the only beneficiary of her native political largesse, Williams requested if Shihata would say she’d “demonstrated a uniquely enthusiastic stage of assist for this mayor?”
Shihata countered by saying: “I’ve donated all through my life to varied political campaigns however most significantly, as a former federal prosecutor I perceive very effectively the distinction between my assist for a marketing campaign as a non-public citizen and my roles as a public servant tasked with making impartial investigative choices primarily based on the information and the regulation with out concern or favor.”
“All through my profession I’ve maintained the best stage of integrity and I’ll proceed to try this as DOI commissioner,” she stated.
Although the DOI commissioner is nominated by the mayor, the company has lengthy been thought of impartial of the mayor’s workplace. The earlier commissioner, Jocelyn Strauber, was so impartial she co-led a sprawling investigation with the FBI that resulted within the indictment of the person who nominated her for the job, Eric Adams.
And Shihata’s donations to Mamdani are uncommon however not distinctive: Mayor Invoice de Blasio’s first DOI commissioner, Mark Peters, served as de Blasio’s marketing campaign treasurer when he ran for mayor. Council members hammered him relentlessly on this throughout Peters’ 2014 affirmation listening to, however finally authorized his appointment.
“The Mayor was proud to appoint Nadia Shihata for DOI Commissioner due to her demonstrated integrity, her intensive expertise as a federal prosecutor on the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Japanese District of New York, and her observe file of rooting out corruption all through her profession,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec stated in an announcement.
A affirmation vote on Shihata is anticipated within the subsequent two weeks.
