Questions arise regarding Zohran Mamdani's past, Mayor Eric Adams' campaign as NYC mayor's race kicks off
The latest polls show Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani as the frontrunner of the New York City mayoral race, beating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams.
But with the candidates now officially set, controversies and questions are starting to arise.
Columbia University hack reveals details from Mamdani's college application
Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democratic nominee who identifies as a Muslim immigrant of South Asian descent, is coming under fire for a label he claimed as a high school senior, applying for college.
According to internal data from a hack of Columbia University obtained by , Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, checked a box that he was Asian but also checked the box for Black or African American on his Columbia University application during a time when elite colleges factored in race in the admissions process.
"The fact that these phrases African American and Black have been sort of merged ... I think it makes it a more difficult charge to say that this can't be defended," political expert Robert George said.
Mamdani says he did not consider himself either Black or African American but rather, "an American who was born in Africa," adding it was an attempt to represent his complex background given the limited choices before him, not gain an upper hand in the admissions process. He was not accepted to Columbia and never attended the university.
But the mayor is calling it "an insult to every student who got into college the right way" adding, "The African American identity is not a checkbox of convenience. For someone to exploit that for personal gain is deeply offensive."
"Mayor Adams is certainly gonna use that," George said. "I don't know how much of an issue that's going to be."
Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate for mayor, also chimed in.
"The fact that he checked off Asian, African American, he said he was from Uganda — is that the best they have on him? Let's get back to the issues," he said.
Former Adams staff members volunteering for campaign
Meanwhile, there's new controversy surrounding Adams' reelection campaign.
CBS News New York has learned Adams' former staff members Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who was indicted on bribery charges, and Winnie Greco, whose home was raided by the feds during Adams' corruption case, have joined his reelection campaign as volunteers.
A campaign spokesperson said they do not have any official role in the campaign and "it's important to remember no one is guilty until proven so in a court of law," adding, "We have thousands of volunteers who support the mayor and we don't restrict individuals from expressing their support."
"The people who surround him are, as the saying goes, kind of ride or die with Eric Adams," George said, "and even though they're in legal jeopardy themselves, they are sticking by him."
