Top Mamdani transition official was heavily influenced by Soros network during Biden years

Just hours after New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, railed against the Democratic Party establishment in her victory speech, she hired an all-female transition team made up of veterans of past administrations including Michael Bloomberg, Eric Adams, Bill de Blasio and Joe Biden.

Members of that transition team include Lina Khan, the former head of the Federal Trade Commission under Joe Biden. When Lina Khan became chairman, the FTC faced accusations from Republicans that it was eroding the agency’s independence and bipartisanship, colluding with foreign regulators to undermine U.S. companies, politicizing antitrust enforcement and making illegal rules.

These accusations included allegations that Khan had sidelined career staff in favor of recruiting fresh blood from a cadre of dark money nonprofits funded by liberal billionaires such as George Soros and Pierre Omidyar, while also supporting a strong antitrust enforcement agenda backed by such groups.

Mamdani’s decision to appoint Khan as one of four co-chairs of the transition team came just hours after he criticized irresponsible elected officials for being more interested in enriching themselves than building public trust. “For years, those at City Hall have only helped those who could help themselves,” he told supporters Tuesday night. “But on January 1, we will start a city government that helps everyone.”

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But Mamdani’s appointment of Khan puts that commitment under scrutiny, given that he has been accused of using his position to benefit allies, including people he used to work with.

During Khan’s chairmanship of the FTC, he appointed Sarah Miller as a “special counsel” and soon promoted Miller to his chief of staff. Miller previously ran the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), an antitrust advocacy group that received donations of at least $200,000 to $500,000 from Soros’ Open Society Foundations, the Omidyar Network and the Ford Foundation, according to tax documents and grant databases.

Miller is married to his ex-wife Bernie Sanders Faiz Shakir, the co-founder of another antitrust advocacy organization called More Perfect Union (MPU). MPU and its advocacy arm, More Perfect Union Action, have also received hundreds of thousands in support from the Soros, Omidyar and Ford Foundation networks. When Miller moved to the FTC, her former group, AELP, made her husband Shakir its interim leader. Meanwhile, AELP has also promoted former Omidyar Network consultant Nidhi Hedge to the position of managing director; The closeness of the network was underlined in a press release on the website.

Under Khan’s administration, the FTC quietly brought in another Soros, Omidyar, and several employees from the Ford Foundation-funded nonprofit AI Now Institute. FTC appoints AI Now founder Meredith Whittaker as “senior counsel” artificial intelligence” In 2021 and at least four more AI Now staff were appointed to advisory roles. At one point, AI Now’s entire organization had been called in to advise the commission in recent years.

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Former Federal Trade Commission Chairman Lina Khan is sworn in before testifying before the House Judiciary Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 13, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Over time, AI Now advisors at the trade commission have been credited multiple times with helping craft policy and messaging, according to the FTC’s website during Khan’s tenure. The FTC also appeared to adopt policy statements that align with insights from AI Now analysis.

Another adviser brought in to assist the trade commission under Khan, who had previously worked for the Omidyar-backed Democracy Fund, had his job description changed shortly after joining the commission to include assisting the commission with “enforcement efforts.” Law professor John Kwoka, who was also appointed as an advisor to the commission under Khan, previously advised the Open Markets Institute, where Khan was director of legal policy. The Soros, Omidyar, and Ford networks have all funneled donations to the Open Markets Institute.

Among Khan’s critics during his presidency was Christie Wilson, who was the only Republican commissioner on the FTC and eventually resigned due to Khan’s leadership. Wilson accused Khan of violating due process and the rule of law, while also confirming that he sidelined career professionals at the FTC.

“Former FTC Chair Lina Khan has become synonymous with her hostility towards businesses large and small during the Biden Administration and has become one of the ringleaders of Bidenomics,” GOP strategist Colin Reed said when asked about Mamdani’s transition team appointments. “The incoming mayor is already breaking one of his fundamental promises to shake up the status quo and usher in a new day.”

When Fox News Digital reached out to Khan about his tenure at the FTC, Khan replied, “No comment.”

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, center, with members of the transition team (from left), transition manager Elana Leopold, transition co-chair Melanie Hartzog, transition co-chair Maria Torres-Springer, transition co-chair Grace Bonilla and transition co-chair Lina Khan speak with members of the media at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens on Wednesday, Nov. 2. 5, 2025. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Matt Gorman, a conservative political strategist in D.C., also criticized Mamdani for claiming to usher in a new era of politics in New York City, only to then turn around and “pick from the same old political class of a failed Democratic administration.”

In addition to Khan, Mamdani’s all-female transition team includes Democratic Party veterans from previous administrations such as Bill de Blasio, Eric Adams and Michael Bloomberg.

Other co-chairs include former mayors de Blasio and Maria Torres-Springer, a former top aide to Bloomberg and soon-to-be former mayor Adams; Melanie Hartzog, a former New York City budget director who served as Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services under de Blasio; and Grace Bonilla, a former aide to Bloomberg and de Blasio, was appointed to lead the former’s Working Group on Racial Equity and Inclusion.

Elana Leopold, former senior aide to de Blasio, has been named executive director of the transition team.

Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.