Mayor Mamdani has finally received high-level security clearance from the federal government, after nine months on the job without it, the mayor said Wednesday.
Mamdani got the green light from the feds this week, a spokesperson for the mayor said — after Mamdani met with President Trump at Gracie Mansion last week during the United Nations General Assembly.
While waiting for months for a federal clearance is not necessarily out of the ordinary, the delay was cause for some anxiety as Trump has in some cases politicized security clearances. Last year he revoked clearances for Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, both of whom had ledcases against Trump.
Receiving a clearance means an individual is officially allowed to access and be briefed on the U.S. government’s most sensitive classified information. For mayors, that means they can get information on things like terrorism or threats to the city.
The FBI typically handles security clearances, and the process involves filling out paperwork, going through an interview process and agents speaking with friends and and family.
Last year, ex-Mayor Adams had his security clearance revoked after he was charged with bribery and campaign finance crimes in a federal indictment. Those charges were later dropped at the behest of the Trump Justice Department.