Mayor Mamdani appoints lawyers with terrorist-defense backgrounds while rejecting a former Epstein associate
Zohran Mamdani’s administration chose a former al-Qaida defender and a cop-killer advocate for senior legal posts, but turned down a lawyer who had represented Ghislaine Maxwell.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s City Hall appointed Ramzi Kassem, a longtime defender of al-Qaida figures such as Ahmed al-Darbi, to serve as the mayor’s chief legal adviser. The mayor also nominated Soffiyah Elijah, a lawyer who has represented individuals convicted of killing police officers, to a panel that evaluates potential judges. Conversely, the administration dismissed John Leventhal, who had acted as an appellate attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell, citing concerns about his ties to the “Epstein world.”
Observers argue that the mayor’s criteria appear to exclude Jewish lawyers while welcoming those who have defended violent extremists. The selections have drawn ire from families of 9/11 victims, who fear the mayor’s presence at the 25th-anniversary Ground Zero ceremony could be contentious. The episode highlights a controversial approach to legal appointments within the city’s government.
Why it matters
It reveals how political leaders prioritize legal experience, raising questions about ethics and public perception.
In this story