New York City Councilmember Vickie Paladino and the City Council have reached a settlement resolving an ethics dispute and a related lawsuit over her social media posts, according to court filings and statements from both sides.
Under the agreement, the Council’s Committee on Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards and Ethics will withdraw disciplinary charges against the Queens Republican, while Paladino will drop a lawsuit she filed challenging the Council’s actions. The settlement still requires approval from a judge.
The dispute arose from a series of social media posts in which Paladino criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration and made remarks that fellow Council members described as Islamophobic. In one post, she questioned the appointment of Faiza Ali, a Muslim American and former Council staffer, asking, “Does this administration have one single actual American in it?” Council members condemned the statement as discriminatory and inappropriate for an elected official.
Other posts cited in the ethics complaint included language that further escalated tensions within the Council, including a now-deleted remark calling for the “expulsion of Muslims from western nations.” Lawmakers said the comments violated the Council’s anti-harassment and discrimination policy.
As part of the settlement, Paladino agreed to delete three posts referenced in the disciplinary case and remove any mention of her Council position from her personal X account. She must also issue a public statement acknowledging responsibility for her posts and clarifying that they were not directed at Council members or staff, and that she did not intend to make them feel unwelcome or unsafe in their workplace.
Council Ethics Committee Chair Sandra Ung stated that “I believe the resolution strikes the right balance between protection of Council staff and the First Amendment liberties of Council Members.”
The case followed formal disciplinary proceedings initiated by the ethics committee, while Paladino’s legal team argued the matter involved free speech protections. Council members maintained the posts crossed ethical boundaries, prompting the complaint and subsequent settlement.
