Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Good 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.
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 didn't just 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.
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. That's why 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.
I am delighted to announce that I am nominating Nadia Shihata to 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, waste and 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 important role, and I can think of no one more scrupulous or prepared to hold it than Nadia.
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 demonstrating her commitment to fairness for all and the rule of law.
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 Shihata.
Commissioner Nadia Shihata, Department of Investigation: Thank 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.
As 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.
I see the role of commissioner of the Department of Investigation as a continuation of that work and also a 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 operating with 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.
Question: What's going to happen to the outstanding DOI investigations? Are they going to be carried over by your administration? And also, are you confident that the Adams administration is running DOI honestly, without corruption?
Mayor Mamdani: I can say that the previous commissioner 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.
Question: And the DOI, the previous investigations, are they going to continue under your administration?
Mayor Mamdani: That is work that will be built upon in our administration.
Question: We 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 it's also 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?
Mayor Mamdani: I think, first and foremost, thank you for highlighting this issue. And clearly, it's not something that is working to the best of its ability, it's something that we will follow up on. Thank you.
Question: Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry for asking you a question that you've already been asked, but we haven't really gotten a clear answer. You said as a candidate, and you've reiterated as mayor, that you don't support the NYPD's criminal crackdown on cyclists. Since taking office, you've said 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.
Mayor Mamdani: So, that's a 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.
Question: So, 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 additional resources within the NYPD and community outreach groups to watch this neighborhood go forward?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I am in regular communication with our police commissioner. The different incidents that you've highlighted are heartbreaking and horrific. And I'm thankful for the work of the NYPD, not only in responding to them, but also in the actions they're taking 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.
Question: Have you spoken with Commissioner Tisch about these shootings, and do you plan to send any additional resources to the neighborhood?
Mayor Mamdani: Those are conversations that are ongoing.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: What do you worry about most for New York City? You were elected on big promises, now you've got the top job. What's keeping you up at night?
Mayor Mamdani: The 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, and also one where one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty. It's the most expensive city in the United States of America. And every day I meet people who are working day and night in this city, but can't even afford to live in this city any longer. And so, we are constantly asking ourselves how we can address this cost-of-living crisis.
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.
Question: The cost of living is a global issue, and the world is watching you. That's why I'm here. Are you worried that you may have over-promised or could under-deliver?
Mayor Mamdani: No, 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. We're delivering that progress, and we also know that it continues each and every day.
Question: My question is for the commissioner. You had mentioned that you represented people who were being investigated by the government. So, you said you represented people being investigated by the government. Do you anticipate recusing yourself from any specific ongoing DOI investigations, and if so, which ones?
Commissioner Shihata: I did not represent anyone being investigated by DOI. I left my law firm a few months ago, and so I don't anticipate needing to recuse myself from anything. But, of course, if something were to come up that I'm not aware of at this time, I would follow the proper recusal advice.
Question: Mr. Mayor, I have two questions. First 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 it's only coming from City Hall. I'm wondering 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?
Mayor Mamdani: I am encouraged by the conversations we've been 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 comptroller, 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 we're having with Albany about how we can bridge that $7 billion gap for these next two fiscal years.
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.
Question: You 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 don't. Why would you change policy in the middle of a cold snap?
Mayor Mamdani: To my understanding, we've continued the policy as it has been. We've sought to be transparent with New Yorkers about this information.
Question: I just want to ask you about - there's reporting out there that you're going 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 didn't really get answers. You're trying 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 - somebody could say, "Well, Manhattan should get more of the tax revenue because they have the, I guess, wealth concentration, [as] opposed to a place like the Bronx or any of the outer boroughs"?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I'll start 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 it's not just a debate about how to distribute the same pie, but how we can actually grow that same pie. And for too long, we've seen a politics which is pitting other parts of the state against each other. What we're talking about also is the potential for additional revenues to ensure that a place like Dunkirk that was mentioned yesterday in the hearing, as well as a place like New York City, is able to actually meet the 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 exacerbated under 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 what's sent versus what's received. 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 we're encouraged by a vision of that relationship that is separate. And then to your first question, we'll be having that meeting later this afternoon.
Question: Do you have any idea of what you'll talk about with the mayor of Minnesota?
Mayor Mamdani: I look forward to getting to know him and also to speaking about the importance of protecting each one of our residents, including the immigrants who call both of our cities home.
Question: I was wondering if you could talk about your decision, or your administration's decision, to adjourn the case for CityFHEPS, 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 it's very expensive, but nevertheless, it does seem your administration wants to curtail it from what the Council is requiring. Can you talk a bit about that?
Mayor Mamdani: Absolutely. So, we've been 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, we're pursuing 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 assistance is 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.
Question: How do you keep people out of shelter if you're eliminating the number of vouchers that are intended to keep them out of shelter?
