NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani finally gets top-level security clearance, 9 months after taking office

Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News on Sep 30, 2026

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NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani has finally received high-level security clearance from the federal government, after nine months on the job without it, the mayor said Wednesday.

It’s unclear when he got the green light, though the news comes after Mamdani met with President Donald Trump at Gracie Mansion last week during the United Nations General Assembly.

While waiting for months for a federal clearance is not necessarily out of the ordinary, the delay was cause for some anxiety as Trump has in some cases politicized security clearances. Last year he revoked clearances for Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, both of whom had ledcases against Trump.

Receiving a clearance means an individual is officially allowed to access and be briefed on the U.S. government’s most sensitive classified information. For mayors, that means they can get information on things like terrorism or threats to the city.

The FBI typically handles security clearances, and the process involves filling out paperwork, going through an interview process and agents speaking with friends and and family.

Last year, ex-Mayor Eric Adams had his security clearance revoked after he was charged with bribery and campaign finance crimes in a federal indictment. Those charges were later dropped at the behest of the Trump Justice Department.

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