New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that he will continue to work with Morris Katz, one of the leading political consultants behind Graham Platner’s doomed bid for Senate. Mamdani made the statement at a news conference on Monday, amidst criticism of Katz’s role in promoting Platner despite concerns over Platner’s past.

Controversy Surrounding Platner’s Campaign

Platner withdrew from the race following a rape accusation, which he denied, from an ex-girlfriend. Katz and his consulting partner, Daniel Moraff, were criticized for failing to properly vet Platner before promoting him to party leaders. The duo paid just over $6,000 for a three-day vetting job, a process that usually takes weeks and costs tens of thousands of dollars.

In addition to the rape accusation, Platner also faced scrutiny over a trove of controversial deleted Reddit posts, a Nazi-linked tattoo he acquired while serving in the military, and his alleged mistreatment of women. Katz wrote on X that he was ‘deeply disappointed’ by the allegations and claimed that his team advised Platner to suspend his candidacy as soon as they became aware of the rape allegations.

Katz’s Past Controversies

Katz has also faced criticism for a puberty book he authored in 2020, which includes sections on ‘Your New Penis’ and ‘The Magic of Masturbation.’ Conservative critics condemned him over a remark in the book, where he suggested using images of his own penis to show children how genitalia develop during puberty. Katz later claimed the comment was a joke.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.