Paladino reaches settlement with the City Council taking down anti-Muslim tweets | amNewYork

"The Republican legislator agreed to delete several tweets and clarify the personal nature of her X/Twitter account. The agreement stems from a disciplinary probe that City Council's Ethics Committee pursued against Paladino in March over anti-Muslim tweets she posted on her X account. Paladino then filed a lawsuit in response to prevent the council from taking any disciplinary actions against her, arguing that the committee was unevenly enforcing its anti-discrimination powers against her for exercising freedom of speech."

"The agreement will force Paladino to delete three tweets mentioned in the council's harassment charges in which Paladino demanded the expulsion of Muslims from Western nations and described a photo of Mayor Zohran Mamdani praying with Muslim sanitation workers as part of Islamic conquest that was sending a message that we are being replaced. The settlement also requires her to remove a reference to her title as a council member on her X account bio, according to court documents."

"Queens Council Member Sandra Ung, the chair of the Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards, and Ethics Committee, issued a statement that mildly reprimanded Paladino on social media as part of the agreement. I believe this resolution strikes the right balance between protection of Council staff and the First Amendment liberties of Council Members. I met with MC Paladino and told her that I did not approve of the contents of her tweets, wrote Ung."

"Paladino is also required to make a public statement within 48 hours of the settlement, saying that she never intended to make Council Members or staff feel unwelcome or unsafe in their work environment. Paladino's lawyer, Jim Walden, who made an unsuccessful mayoral bid last year, agreed not to pursue legal fees from the city as part of the settlement. As part of the exchange, the City Council agreed to withdraw the disciplinary charge against Paladino with prejudice, meaning the committee cannot investigate her over those tweets"

A Republican council member agreed to delete three specified tweets and clarify that her X/Twitter account is personal. The agreement followed an ethics probe by a City Council committee over anti-Muslim posts made on her X account. The tweets demanded expulsion of Muslims from Western nations and described a photo of the mayor praying with Muslim sanitation workers as part of an Islamic conquest and replacement narrative. The settlement also required removing a reference to her council title from her X bio and issuing a public statement within 48 hours denying any intent to make council members or staff feel unwelcome or unsafe. The city withdrew the disciplinary charge with prejudice, preventing further investigation of those tweets, and the lawyer agreed not to seek legal fees from the city.

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