New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has spent eight and a half months in office without federal security clearance. In a city of approximately 8.5 million people, this limits the mayor's access to classified information concerning terrorism and other threats to New York.
Speaking at a press conference, Mamdani said the review for his clearance was ongoing and that the time taken to complete the process was within the normal timeframe.
My process of obtaining federal security clearance is ongoing. Some senior administration officials currently have security clearance. The New York Police Department also regularly briefs me on intelligence investigations that are not subject to federal classification, and we will continue our work.
Previous mayors faced the same issue
Mamdani is not the first New York mayor to face an issue with federal security clearance. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio likewise did not have a senior-level federal clearance at the same stage of his first term, which began in 2014.
De Blasio did not apply for clearance during the early days of his term, and it took federal authorities slightly more than a year to grant him full security clearance.
Former Mayor Eric Adams's security clearance was revoked in 2024. Adams became the first sitting New York mayor to face a federal criminal indictment.
The review process can take up to a year
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducts the federal security clearance review. The process can take up to a year for people beginning their first term in public office.
Mamdani's lack of national security clearance coincided with the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York and expectations that numerous foreign visitors would visit the city.
Experts said the federal government's inability to share all classified information with Mamdani could delay the mayor's official response in a potential emergency.
