NYC Council Charges Councilwoman Over Islamophobic Social Media Posts

NEW YORK, NY— City Council’s standards and ethics committee voted Monday to charge Council Member Vickie Paladino for Islamophobic remarks she made on social media in recent months.

The committee cited Paladino for “engaging in disorderly behavior and violating the council’s anti-harassment and discrimination policy.”

She now has five days to submit a written response before appearing in a closed-door executive session in the coming weeks.

The proceedings could result in sanctions, including censure, fines, or, in rare cases, expulsion, but any final action would require approval from two-thirds of the 51-member council.

Paladino has publicly defended her posts, arguing that as an elected official she has a First Amendment right to speak on matters of public policy.

“The fact that this egregious disregard for the Constitution was allowed to proceed to this point is a stain on our Council, and on New York City,” she wrote in a post on X. “Actions like this are meant to intimidate both elected officials and individuals against speaking their conscious (sic) on matters of public import and controversy, and the chilling effect on speech is undeniable.”

In recent social media comments, she described the committee’s ruling as a “mockery of the First Amendment” and said her legal team would respond.

The disciplinary action follows a December decision by the ethics committee to investigate Paladino’s social media conduct.

Among the posts cited, she suggested Muslims should be expelled from Western nations and described a photo of Mayor Zohran Mamdani praying with Muslim sanitation workers as “part of Islamic conquest.”

Paladino, a Queens Republican, has a long history of provocative social media remarks.

She previously called for the deportation of Mamdani, a naturalized U.S. citizen.

In 2023, former Speaker Adrienne Adams removed her from the City Council’s Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addiction after she made disparaging comments about the LGBTQ+ community.

Past disciplinary actions included committee reassignments, but she has not previously faced formal censure.

The ethics committee has censured council members in the past, though most cases involved alleged misconduct unrelated to speech. Former members have faced penalties for controversial comments, including the removal from committee leadership or assignments.

Since taking office in January, Council Speaker Julie Menin has limited Paladino to two committee assignments, citing her social media conduct.

Menin has said she intends to strengthen the council’s ethics oversight and harassment policies.