Queens Councilmembers Joann Ariola and Vickie Paladino, along with Queens Civic Congress President Warren Schreiber, have filed a lawsuit against Mayor Zohran Mamdani, seeking answers to a Freedom of Information Law request tied to his early executive actions on Israel and antisemitism, the Queens Eagle reported Wednesday.

The plaintiffs argue that the mayor has not properly responded to FOIL submissions made in January that questioned his move to rescind a previous administration’s executive order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

“Mayor Mamdani has chosen to stonewall, deflect, delay and deny any response,” the filing states. “As set forth in detail herein, this dilatory tactic on the part of the Mayor is disingenuous, arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, and contrary to the public interest of all New Yorkers.”

Shortly after taking office, Mamdani issued executive orders nullifying all directives signed by his predecessor after the date of that predecessor’s fraud indictment on Sept. 26, 2024 — including the order recognizing the IHRA definition. It was one of his earliest actions as mayor.

These moves, which also involved withdrawing the city’s investments in Israeli bonds, drew criticism from segments of the Jewish community who already had concerns about Mamdani’s views on Israel and the conflict in Gaza.

The lawsuit describes Mamdani’s actions as both “anti-Israel” and “anti-Jewish.”

The plaintiffs say their FOIL requests filed on Jan. 2 and Jan. 12 were intended to uncover the reasoning behind the revocation of the executive orders.

According to the lawsuit, “The purpose of the FOIL applications at issue in this proceeding is to decipher and obtain the documentary trail of information illuminating Mayor Mamdani’s motives, policies, programs, legislative initiatives and budgetary priorities implicated within the EO.”

Their request seeks internal documents related to the administration’s policies on Zionism and antisemitism.

The City Law Department initially rejected the FOIL requests, requiring resubmission. They were formally acknowledged on Feb. 11, with officials stating they would aim to produce responses by April 20.

FOIL requests – regularly used by journalists and the public to access government records – often take months to process, particularly at the city level.

The petitioners and their attorney, Jack Lester, filed the lawsuit on Thursday, Feb. 19, citing the matter’s “urgency.”

“The issue affects, over a million people in New York City, and it’s not your typical policy decision, and it’s not your typical FOIL,” Lester said. “So there has to be some urgency behind it.”

He added that the timing of the revocations – coming at the very start of Mamdani’s administration – drove their decision to pursue the lawsuit, calling the move “unprecedented.”