Defend terrorists and cop-killers, and you can be a Mamdani legal adviser

Nypost · Aug 04, 2026 · 353 words · By Post Editorial Board

National Security/Terrorism Political Bias in Appointments Antisemitism

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Daily briefing

What to know about National Security/Terrorism

Any association with “the Epstein world” renders you unfit for even an advisory role at Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s City Hall — but similar ties to actual terrorists is no bar to even a top position.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 5

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Seriously: City Hall says it rejected the one Jew it had considered for a panel that recommends potential judges on the grounds that John Leventhal had been an appellate lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell and even — horrors!

Common ground

— “collected legal fees as such.” The mayor says he doesn’t want his judicial-assessment team tainted by the “loss of faith” in the legal system represented by someone in “the Epstein world.” Hmm: The mayor’s chief counsel offers confidential, high-level…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Black-and-White Fallacy: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this National Security/Terrorism story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Kassem waged a tenacious defense of al Qaeda stalwart Ahmed al-Darbi, who bombed a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen in 2002?
How does this story connect National Security/Terrorism with Political Bias in Appointments over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/opinion/defend-terrorists-and-cop-killers-and-you-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 5 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 100% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Black-and-White Fallacy 85% confidence

Presenting only two options when more exist.

Why it matters: Recognizing black-and-white fallacy helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Anger 80% confidence

Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 3

verified Verified By Reference 2

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Claim 1: “Kassem waged a tenacious defense of al Qaeda stalwart Ahmed al-Darbi, who bombed a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen in 2002”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Ramzi Kassem defended Ahmed al-Darbi, and that al-Darbi was convicted of bombing a French oil tanker (the Limburg) off the coast of Yemen in 2002.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — List of extrajudicial killings and political violence in Lebanon is a chronological record of lethal events—including targeted political liquidations, acts of collective violence, state-sponsored exec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extrajudicial_killings…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al-Darbi (Arabic: احمد محمد احمد هزاع الدربي) is a citizen of Saudi Arabia who was held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba from August 2002 to May …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_al-Darbi

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable Egyptian Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants. To be included in this list, the person must have a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Egyptian_Americans

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “City Hall says it rejected the one Jew it had considered for a panel that recommends potential judges on the grounds that John Leventhal had been an appellate lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result mentions that a Mamdani spokesman stated Leventhal was rebuffed because he represented Ghislaine Maxwell. However, there are no other independent sources provided to corroborate this specific reason for rejection.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 FIFA World Cup was accompanied by a number of controversies mostly relating to FIFA ticket pricing, political, logistical, environmental, and human rights issues across its three host nations…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2026_FIFA_World_Cup_co…

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web search NEUTRAL — Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as the means by which a mayor is elected or otherwise mandated.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Shelby Charter Township, officially the Charter Township of Shelby, is a charter township located in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township is an affluent northern suburb of Detroit…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_Charter_Township,_Mic…

+ 1 more evidence source

verified

Claim 3: “nominee Soffiyah Elijah represented notorious Brinks-robbery murderers Marilyn Buck and Sundiata Acoli in court”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly states that Soffiyah Elijah has represented Marilyn Buck and Sundiata Acoli in court. This is further corroborated by another news source mentioning her representation of Acoli.

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web search NEUTRAL — Jill Soffiyah Elijah is an American lawyer, author and social justice activist.family members in prison.[8][9] As a lawyer she has represented Marilyn Buck and Sundiata Acoli in court.[10].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soffiyah_Elijah

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web search NEUTRAL — Elijah spent decades representing Sundiata Acoli, a Black Liberation Army member convicted of murdering New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster in 1973.
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/hypocritical-mamdani-appoin…

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web search NEUTRAL — The mayor's chief counsel offers confidential, high-level legal and strategic guidance, and the guy Zohran Mamdani chose for the job is Ramzi Kassem, who has seemingly spent his career defending al Qa…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/opinion/defend-terrorists-and-…

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Claim 4: “and writes passionately in defense of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Mutulu Shakur”

SINGLE SOURCE

While there are search results for Mumia Abu-Jamal and general mentions of Elijah's activism, none of the provided evidence explicitly confirms that Soffiyah Elijah wrote in defense of Mumia Abu-Jamal or Mutulu Shakur.

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web search NEUTRAL — Mumia Abu-Jamal is an American political activist and journalist who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1982 for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumia_Abu-Jamal

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Leventhal had a long and reasonably distinguished career as a state judge; the idea that he’s beyond the pale because one of his former clients is a terrible person, when the likes of Kassem and Elija…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/opinion/defend-terrorists-and-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Insisting that solitary confinement cease, that Attica be closed, and that the pipeline from community to prison be turned off, and rallying against what has now become referred to as the âNew Jim Cro…
https://archive.org/details/EndMassIncarcerationWithMumiaAbu…

verified

Claim 5: “He also represented Columbia cheer-for-Hamas deportee-in-waiting Mahmoud Khalil”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about 'Bara' (a manga genre) and unrelated Wikipedia entries. No evidence was found confirming the representation of Mahmoud Khalil.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Darializa Avila Chevalier (born 1993 or 1994), also known as DAC, is an American political candidate and community organizer. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darializa_Avila_Chevalier

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “and did more legal work on behalf of a dozen other Guantanamo detainees”

SINGLE SOURCE

A CBC Radio report specifically states that Ramzi Kassem has defended 14 Guantanamo Bay detainees. No other provided source confirms the specific number of detainees.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The frequent flyer program is a controversial technique used by the United States in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camps in Cuba. Guards deprived detainees of sleep by moving them from one cell to ano…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequent_flyer_program_(Guanta…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr Mahjour Umar (Arabic: عمر خليفة محمد أبو بكر) is a citizen of Libya who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Khalif_Mohammed_Abu_Bakr_…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “Mamdani also had no problem naming a lawyer who specializes in defending cop-killers to the judicial-advisory board.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Mayor Mamdani appointed members to the Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary (MACJ), and one source explicitly links Soffiyah Elijah to this appointment in the context of the 'Hypocritical!' article.

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web search NEUTRAL — Soffiyah Elijah (library.marin.edu), Zohran Mamdani (Spencer Platt/Getty Images).According to a Mamdani spokesman, Leventhal was rebuffed because he represented Maxwell, an accomplice to Jeffrey Epste…
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/hypocritical-mamdani-appoin…

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web search NEUTRAL — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced the full slate of members appointed to the Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary (MACJ), which evaluates candidates for judicial appointments and recom…
https://www.miragenews.com/mayor-mamdani-reveals-judiciary-a…

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web search NEUTRAL — Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed a number of members to the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary on Wednesday. File photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
https://queenseagle.com/all/2026/7/23/mayor-chief-judge-appo…

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Claim 8: “the guy Mamdani chose for the job [chief counsel] is Ramzi Kassem”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news sources (The Times of India, AOL, and another news report) confirm that Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani appointed Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel. Wikipedia also confirms Mamdani is the Mayor of NYC.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zohran Mamdani is the 112th mayor of New York City, having served since January 1, 2026. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani was elected mayor in the 202…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayoralty_of_Zohran_Mamdani

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web search NEUTRAL — Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed prominent anti-Israel activist Ramzi Kassem as his chief counsel, signaling a hard-left pivot in New York City’s legal and political landscape.
https://jfeed-web.vercel.app/news-world/anti-israel-activist…

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Leventhal had a long and reasonably distinguished career as a state judge”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is mentioned in one of the web search results ('Defend terrorists and cop-killers...'), but no independent verification or official record of John Leventhal's judicial career was provided in the evidence.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.