Speaker Adrienne Adams Delivers Opening Remarks at the Rules Committee Hearing on the Nomination of Randy Mastro for Corporation Counsel

City Hall - Today, Speaker Adrienne Adams delivered opening remarks at the Council's Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections hearing on Mayor Adams' nomination of Randy Mastro to be the City's Corporation Counsel.

Below are the Speaker's full remarks as prepared for delivery.

Good morning.

Thank you, Chair Powers, and members of the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections for convening today's hearing on the nomination of Randy Mastro for the position of Corporation Counsel.

The role of the Corporation Counsel is a prestigious and powerful position in our city government. To serve the public at this level is a great privilege based on qualifications, attributes, and many aspects of a nominee's record.

Being a qualified attorney and litigator is not the full breadth of qualifications required for this critical position. There are many experienced and effective lawyers in our great city. But any prospective Corporation Counsel must meet a high standard of commitment to public service and justice.

They also need New Yorkers' trust and must be accountable to the public and the many officials represented by the Law Department. They must be able to confidently lead the more than 800 attorneys and support staff of the Law Department. They must faithfully represent all of us - the entire city, the Council, agencies, and other elected officials. The reason that our City Charter was revised to require this position receive advice-and-consent came from the need to ensure Corporation Counsel does not prioritize the Mayor or any single official over the city's interests and justice. This issue was a central concern with certain past Corporation Counsels.

We consider the context of this history, and the weight of our responsibility to strengthen democratic governance, as we approach this hearing. Our goal today is to evaluate the nominee's record and determine whether they meet the high standards and public trust required of this critical position.

The due diligence taken in this process is what New Yorkers deserve and should be required for a position of such great authority. This is good for democracy and good governance.

It is the Council's responsibility to uphold these standards, and for the nominee to demonstrate they meet these requirements.

As a Council, we take this responsibility very seriously because our job is to make city government more responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers.

Leadership matters, especially when city leaders are responsible for providing services that New Yorkers rely upon for their safety and well-being. These decisions are too important to take place behind closed doors, outside of the public view.

Ultimately, a transparent process, like the one we are undergoing today, strengthens accountability and trust in our government.

As a Council, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of this city. It is our duty to critically examine appointees, their character, their qualifications and their record so that we can ensure we have the best person for the job.

It is also our responsibility to ensure nominees' records are consistent with the values of our city. As the city's top attorney, the Corporation Counsel must have a strong record of championing what New Yorkers hold dear, including equity and justice.

It's critical that they be someone the public can trust to put the people first, which means that their record of fighting for the people, for standing up for workers' rights and pursuing racial equity and justice must be uncompromising.

Their commitment to working for solutions New Yorkers desperately need, like affordable housing, safeguards for climate change and disasters, and protections for workers, should be crystal clear.

There is too much on the line for New Yorkers and our collective future to accept anything less.

This role, and any top position in government, is not entitled to anyone - it is a privilege.

Women and people of color know this to be true - rarely, if ever, have we been considered entitled to top positions. In fact, entitlement has often kept those who look like us from accessing such valuable opportunities.

Our women-majority and historically diverse Council inherently understands this. We were elected by New Yorkers in every neighborhood of this city. We represent their diverse interests, and we prioritize the diversity that our representation reflects.

It is our duty to thoroughly examine nominees.

Mr. Mastro, I look forward to hearing from you today and our exchange regarding your record, qualifications, and experiences in consideration of your nomination as Corporation Counsel.

Thank you.

I now turn it back to Chair Powers.

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