A staff member for Zohran Mamdani’s campaign was reportedly recorded on a hidden camera expressing indifference toward the opinions of police officers regarding the Democratic mayoral nominee.
“They’re city employees. You get told what to do, shut up. When did you get an opinion?” Robert Akleh, a political consultant with progressive leanings and the citywide canvass manager for the campaign, was filmed speaking to an undercover operative associated with conservative podcaster Steven Crowder regarding the NYPD’s perspective on their leading socialist candidate.
Clips compiled and shared online by Crowder also feature the high-ranking field organizer discussing topics such as Governor Kathy Hochul, Democrats supporting “Israel,” and his disdain for affluent individuals.
“They also don’t understand why everyone despises them. Or why they continue to lose elections and can’t dominate the narrative,” Akleh remarked to the “Louder with Crowder” operative concerning billionaires, before referencing the alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare’s Brian Thompson.
Start your day informed
Morning Report provides the latest updates, videos, photos, and more.
Thank you for subscribing!
“Or why someone might get shot in the back of the head in Midtown. You’re not treating people justly,” he declared.
Akleh seems to have been recorded making these statements to a woman at various bars and other locations during August and September.
The footage also features him boasting about the Democratic Socialists of America and their progressive allies in extracting an endorsement from Hochul by threatening the unpopular moderate governor with a primary challenge from Mamdani’s volunteer base of 60,000 supporters.
“She gets it. She’s not foolish. She understands,” Akleh said in one clip.
He later celebrated their success in securing endorsements from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester) following Hochul’s endorsement of Mamdani last month.
“We have the governor. We have the assembly. The state senate will yield as well,” he asserted.
Akleh, who has previously campaigned for DSA Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, was recorded seemingly discussing the campaign’s strategy of mobilizing Muslim voters against “a bunch of f—ing Israel-supporting politicians.”
“You organize the mosques. Get the Imams to instruct people to vote. We bring Zohran to speak to them. That’s our method,” he explained.
“We had young lesbian white women distributing flyers at a mosque.”
At one instance, the woman inquired: “What do the police think of Mamdani since that’s somewhat contentious?”
“Who cares what they think?” he retorted, continuing to rant that public employees like police should remain nonpartisan.
This video emerges as Mamdani is trying to maintain the enthusiasm of his supporters during the campaign while also attracting ties with the very billionaires, establishment Democrats, and law enforcement figures that his staffer seems to disdain.
In a recent Fox News interview, Mamdani himself offered an apology to New York’s police force for previously labeling them “racist, anti-queer & a significant threat to public safety” and for calls to defund the agency in tweets from 2020.
Since his surprising primary victory in June, he has also been arranging meetings with business leaders including billionaires from the Partnership for New York and centrist Democrats like Mike Bloomberg and Hakeem Jeffries.
While still employing Akleh, Mamdani’s campaign downplayed his position, referring to him as a “junior” staff member, deeming his remarks “regretful.”
“One of our junior staff members was covertly recorded by a right-wing group, during which he made some regrettable comments that do not reflect Zohran or the campaign,” said spokesperson Dora Pekec in a statement to The Post.
It was further noted by a campaign insider that Akleh has not participated in significant policy discussions.
Financial records indicate that Mamdani’s campaign has compensated Akleh approximately $40,000 throughout this electoral cycle.
The Post has reached out to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch for comments. Hochul’s spokesperson opted not to respond.
