Mayor Adams tapped controversial lawyer Randy Mastro to become his administration’s top attorney on Tuesday, teeing up what’s expected to be a contentious confirmation battle with the City Council after working for months behind the scenes to try to secure support.
The nomination of Mastro to become the city government’s corporation counsel comes even though dozens of Democratic Council members have already vowed to block him from the post, citing concerns about his record of championing conservative causes in court and working as a top official in Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s Republican administration.
The corporation counsel, who oversees the city Law Department, is one of the few roles in the municipal bureaucracy that the mayor must secure the Council’s approval for to make a hire, and the widespread opposition in the legislative chamber puts Mastro’s nomination on uncertain ground.
Adams said in a written statement Tuesday afternoon that he’s nominating Mastro for the powerful role because he’s a “world-renowned attorney who brings decades of experience as a public servant.”
“Recognized as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America, Randy is among the best known and most respected litigators in the nation and has helped shape the legal world through his extensive body of work,” he said.
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, whose support is critical for the confirmation of Mastro’s nomination, hasn’t yet said whether she’d support him.
In response to the Mastro announcement, Julia Agos, a spokeswoman for the speaker, said the Council “will perform its charter-mandated responsibility to consider the nominee within 30 days” of the pick being formally received at the chamber’s next full meeting.
“As part of a transparent public process, a forthcoming hearing will be scheduled that allows for thorough examination, public comment, and due consideration,” Agos said.
The mayor’s team first confirmed in mid-April he was considering nominating Mastro after Sylvia Hinds-Radix, his first corporation counsel, resigned. Hinds-Radix’s departure came after she got into disagreements with top Adams administration officials about sensitive legal matters, including about whether the mayor and his top public safety adviser Tim Pearson should have been granted Law Department representation against civil lawsuits accusing them of sexual misconduct.
Since word of Mastro’s likely appointment first emerged, the mayor’s team has privately lobbied Council members on the nomination, including setting up private meetings with him, as first reported by The News in May.
Just Monday, Mastro called around to Council members informing them his nomination was imminent, according to two sources directly familiar with the matter. It remains to be seen whether the private lobbying by the mayor’s team has changed any minds in the Council.
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