New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani hires Lina Khan who went after Amazon, Meta and Google in her days as FTC head

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has roped in Lina Khan, the former chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) known for her aggressive antitrust lawsuits against Big Tech, to lead the board of directors for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC). In a press conference at the City Hall Rotunda, Mamdani named Khan as Board Chair alongside Anthony Shorris, a partner at McKinsey and longtime public servant, who will serve as the EDC’s president and CEO. According to Business Insider, Mamdani called the duo a “dream team” and framed the appointments as a strategic effort to pair urban business growth with his progressive affordability agenda. Mamdani said: “Today’s appointees not only share a vision for the future of this office, but a commitment, too, to executing on it. Economic development and economic justice must go hand in hand.”

Mamdani aims to bridge corporate growth and economic justice

The EDC is a nonprofit that oversees city-owned property, manages major real estate developments, awards business tax incentives and drives commercial investment across New York City’s five boroughs, according to a report by Business Insider.Khan has built a reputation as a consumer rights advocate while spearheading federal antitrust actions against tech giants like Amazon, Meta and Google during the Biden administration. She has previously served as a co-chair for Mamdani’s mayoral campaign.Responding to her appointment, Khan emphasized that the agency would focus on expanding opportunity for working-class New Yorkers: “The EDC has key tools to drive projects that grow our economy, create good jobs, promote entrepreneurship, and make life more affordable for New Yorkers.”Anthony Shorris is the president and CEO of EDC. He served as McKinsey Partner and has decades of public and private sector experience.