Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani named Ramzi Kassem as the city’s top attorney, drawing scrutiny over Kassem’s past legal work representing an al-Qaeda terrorist and other controversial clients.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Socialist New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday that he has selected Ramzi Kassem to serve as the city’s chief counsel, elevating an attorney who previously gained national attention for defending an al-Qaeda terrorist and representing other high-profile Islamist figures.
Kassem served as lead defense counsel for Ahmed al-Darbi, an al-Qaeda operative who pleaded guilty in 2014 in connection with a 2002 terrorist plot to bomb a French oil tanker near Yemen, an attack that killed one civilian and injured several others. Al-Darbi was convicted in 2017 and later transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2018.
Al-Darbi’s family ties also drew attention during the case. His brother-in-law was Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the five hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, according to a Reuters report.
Kassem later commented publicly on al-Darbi’s transfer, telling reporters at the time that, “While it may not make him whole, my hope is that repatriation at least marks the end of injustice for Ahmed… He had 16 long and painful years in captivity,” according to coverage by the Associated Press and The New York Times.
According to The New York Post, Kassem founded a legal clinic at the City University of New York in 2009 that provides free legal representation to Muslim clients and other groups. The nonprofit arm of the clinic, Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR), has received more than $3 million in funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, public records show.
Kassem is also part of the legal team representing radical Islamist Mahmoud Khalil, whose deportation was ordered by an immigration judge, according to reporting.
The appointment sparked immediate backlash online. Conservative commentator Pamela Geller reacted in a widely circulated post on X, criticizing Mamdani’s decision and linking it to Kassem’s past defense work, in a message posted on Dec. 31.
Mamdani defended his choice in a formal announcement, praising Kassem’s legal background and government experience.
“I am delighted to announce that I am naming Ramzi Kassem as Chief Counsel,” Mamdani said. He noted that Kassem is currently a law professor at CUNY and previously served as a senior policy adviser in the Biden administration from 2022 to 2024.
“He has deep experience arguing in court, including before the Supreme Court,” Mamdani said. “I will turn to Ramzi for his remarkable experience and his commitment to defending those too often abandoned by our legal system.”
Mamdani added that Kassem would be a strong advocate for groups he described as marginalized, including homeless veterans, patients seeking care, and immigrants struggling to get by in New York City.
Kassem’s past remarks have also resurfaced following the announcement. In a 2015 opinion essay for Al Jazeera, Kassem described the film American Sniper as “a racist, self-involved apology for jingoism and military occupation dressed up as a B-movie,” and referred to the film’s protagonist Chris Kyle and his fellow service members as “savages.”
Additional attention followed the release of a video shared by Wall Street Mav on X showing Kassem discussing how the Sept. 11 attacks influenced his decision to pursue legal advocacy work, a clip posted on Dec. 31.
Mamdani’s appointment of Kassem places a figure with a record of defending terrorism-related clients and radical activists in one of the most powerful legal positions in New York City government, setting the stage for further political controversy as the new administration prepares to take office.
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