Eric Adam, the Mayor of New York City, was dealt a blow when his selected nominee for the city’s chief legal role opted to withdraw his candidature only days before a City Council vote was due to take place, which was likely to result in his nomination being rejected. On Tuesday, Randy Mastro sent a letter to Adam to request that his name be excluded from consideration for the subsequent corporation counsel designation. Mastro expressed his disappointment with the demanding confirmation process, which he described as unfairly biased against him. The City Council’s voting procedure to decide on Mastro’s appointment was planned for the following Thursday.
Randy Mastro professed his ignorance about what motivated the City Council to carry out the affirmation hearing in the peculiar manner they did. In the past, Mastro had held the positions of chief of staff and deputy mayor during Rudy Giuliani’s tenure as mayor. In April, Adam had chosen Mastro to take up the corporation counsel role. The role is essentially that of the principal attorney for the governance of the city.
The proposition was for Mastro to succeed the current corporation counsel, Sylvia Hinds-Radix, with whom Adams has faced some friction over a sexual harassment case that he is personally confronting. Nonetheless, a significant proportion of the City Council, which consists of 51 members, has been openly opposing Mastro’s nomination. Particularly, the Black, Asian and Latino Caucus, which represents 34 members of the council, have voiced their dissent towards Mastro’s prospective appointment.
During a hearing that took place last week, Mastro was subjected to a rigorous interrogation by council members, lasting several hours. They questioned him extensively on his past legal engagements in the city as well as in other regions. Mastro’s earlier work under Giuliani drew the most criticism. Giuliani’s strict law enforcement policies whilst in office have been a bone of contention for Democrats and liberal groups.
In the wake of Mastro’s decision to withdraw his nomination, Mayor Adams expressed his admiration for him. Adams described Mastro as being amongst the leading lawyers in the country. Mastro, according to the mayor, championed for social justice, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. He is also noted for being one of the rare lawyers in New York who successfully won multiple legal cases against Donald Trump.
Mayor Adams expressed regret over the political motivations that have influenced the process and as a consequence will leave New Yorkers without one of the best suited candidates for this crucial role to ever be considered. Mastro, who is a former federal prosecutor, has an impressive legal career. He has represented a myriad of high-profile clients and collaborated with the Giuliani administration in their fight against organized crime in the now-closed Fulton Fish Market and the private carting industry.
On the other hand, the City Council showed approval of Mastro’s decision to withdraw his nomination. They issued a statement declaring their relief at the conclusion of the unnecessary dispute and division that Mastro’s nomination had caused. They pointed out that the content of Mastro’s letter reflected the reasons for the widespread lack of confidence in him as a suitable candidate for all city officials, and not just the mayor.
In their statement, they expressed their belief that New York City requires a chief attorney who values their independence and is prepared to oppose when the political agendas of an administration conflict with the best interests of the mass population of New Yorkers.