Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday officially nominated Randy Mastro, a former top aide to Mayor Rudy Giuliani, for corporation counsel. 

What You Need To Know

  • Many council members remain opposed to Randy Mastro becoming the city's next corporation counsel

  • Lawmakers say Mastro's past as an ex-Giuliani aide and legal work has led them to reject his nomination

  • Currently, Mastro doesn't have the votes to get confirmed but that could change over the next few weeks as lawmakers hold a public hearing

The nomination was expected by many, including the City Council. Mastro’s name was floated as a potential nominee back in April. 

Since then, it's been mostly a push back from local lawmakers. 

“This is a guy who was Giuliani’s right-hand man. And we have said as an electorate many times over at this point that that is not reflective of our politics, of our values at this point in the city,” Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, co-chair of the LGBTQIA caucus, said. 

Cabán, a progressive lawmaker, is part of the two caucuses that have come out against Mastro. The Black, Latino and Asian Caucus was the first, followed by the LGBTQIA caucus. 

Council members say that apart from serving in the Giuliani administration, they also have issues with Mastro’s previous legal work. 

“Randy Mastro represented Chevron in a case defending them for one of the most devastating oil spills in the world,” Cabán said. “He represented a client that fought to kick out homeless New Yorkers living in a vacant hotel in the Upper West Side.” 

Both caucuses remain unchanged even as some of them have had personal conversations with the former federal prosecutor. 

“You must have strong integrity as well as ethics and a strong value system of how you conduct yourself that we can trust no matter what is placed in front of you that you will have a moral compass to protect the best interests of the New York city and the citizens at large,” Councilwoman Julie Won, who is vice co-chair of the BLAC, said.  

Won pointed to the current legal fight over switching municipal retirees to a new healthcare plan as a case that would worry her under Mastro. 

“When asked point blank, he does not have a clear answer on how he would represent them. That is extremely, extremely worrisome,” said Won.  

However, not all local lawmakers have passed judgement yet. 

“There’s nobody that exists that has more knowledge of city government and has a wealth of experience than Randy Mastro. I think he’s a good choice. I think all of our council members should have an open mind,” Councilman Bob Holden, co-chair of the Common Sense Caucus, said. 

Mastro has some liberal credentials, like serving as the head of the good government group Citizens Union and was once a vice chair at the Legal Aid Society.

“I just hope that the speaker really promotes and talks to the council members: let's have a fair process,” Holden said.  

Currently, Mastro does not have the support to get approved, but he’s hoping to change minds. 

“For whatever reason, knowing that the votes are not there, the mayor is willing to have a public circus, where we have to publicly say no,” Won said. 

“The law department could do so much more on affirmative litigation to protect civil rights, constitutional rights and social justice and that's what I’m so attracted to doing in this role,” Mastro said on "Inside City Hall" on Tuesday night.  

The City Council plans to formally accept Mastro’s nomination at their Aug. 15 stated meeting after which a hearing will be scheduled.