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'Zero tolerance for self-enrichment' under NYC watchdog nominee, Mayor Mamdani says
By
Charles Lane
Published Feb 12, 2026
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From NYC Mayor's Office video
By
Charles Lane
Published Feb 12, 2026
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani nominated former federal prosecutor Nadia Shihata on Thursday as commissioner of the Department of Investigation, which provides oversight over the city’s roughly 300,000 employees.
If confirmed by the City Council, Shihata would be the first woman of color to lead the DOI, according to Mamdani. The 300-person agency is the city's head watchdog and is tasked with rooting out corruption, fraud and waste in city government. The DOI also houses the inspector general for the NYPD.
"There will be zero tolerance for self-enrichment or corruption in my City Hall, but words are not enough," Mamdani said at a press conference at City Hall. "They must be backed up by action and accountability."
The nomination comes as Mamdani seeks to distance his administration from the corruption scandals that engulfed his predecessor Eric Adams, who along with top aides and appointees faced a wave of federal investigations. The DOI's previous commissioner, Jocelyn Strauber, resigned in January, telling staff there was "no prompt path forward" to remaining in the role permanently under the new administration.
Shihata served for more than a decade as a federal prosecutor within the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York, where she investigated racketeering and violent crimes as chief of the organized crime and gangs section. Before that, she held the role of deputy chief of the office’s public integrity section, where she supervised much of the same kind of work she will lead at the DOI.
"I can think of no one more scrupulous or prepared to hold it than Nadia," Mamdani said.
After leaving the U.S. attorney's office in 2022, Shihata cofounded a law firm specializing in representing survivors of sexual violence, victims of law enforcement misconduct, and people under government investigation. She also previously served as a legal officer at the U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, according to her LinkedIn profile.
"I see the role of commissioner of the Department of Investigation as a continuation of that work and also a significant expansion," Shihata said Thursday. "At its best, DOI helps ensure that city government can tackle big challenges effectively and efficiently while operating with integrity, accountability and fairness for all New Yorkers, no matter their background, economic status or proximity to power."
Shihata said, if confirmed, she would lead the DOI "with independence, fairness and transparency" and pledged to "follow the facts and evidence wherever they lead, without fear or favor."
Mamdani praised Strauber's work investigating alleged corruption under the Adams administration and said the DOI would continue to build on those efforts.
"The previous commissioner who served underneath the administration, she did so performing an extraordinary job at rooting out corruption at the highest levels of government," Mamdani said. "And we are going to build on that work."
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Politics
Zohran Mamdani
new york city
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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