New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that he will continue to work with Morris Katz, one of the leading political consultants behind Graham Platner’s doomed bid for Senate.

«I will continue to work with Morris Katz, he remains a top advisor of mine,» Mamdani said at a news conference on Monday.

Many of Katz’s fellow Democrats lambasted him after Platner withdrew from the race following a rape accusation – which Platner denied – from an ex-girlfriend, arguing that Katz failed to do his due diligence before promoting Platner to party leaders. Some in the party are now calling for him to be blacklisted from future political operations.

Katz and his consulting partner, Daniel Moraff, ignored multiple requests from their own vetting team to dig deeper into Platner’s past over concerns of possible scandals, a source familiar with the early stages of the Platner campaign previously told Fox News Digital. The duo paid just over $6,000 for a three-day vetting job, something that usually takes weeks and costs tens of thousands of dollars.

PLATNER’S THREE-DAY VETTING JOB COMES BACK TO HAUNT DEMS AS RAPE ALLEGATION ROCKS SENATE BID

In addition to a rape accusation, Platner also attracted scrutiny over a trove of controversial deleted Reddit posts, a Nazi-linked tattoo he acquired while serving in the military and his alleged mistreatment of women.

The reporter asking Mamdani about Katz cited a letter circulated by the Democratic Socialists of America urging their political allies not to work with him.

KINGMAKER MAMDANI CALLS ON PLATNER TO ‘DROP OUT OF THE RACE’ AFTER RAPE ALLEGATION

Democratic Senate nominee in Maine Graham Platner and his wife speak with supporters following his primary night victory speech, in Blue Hill, Maine in June 9, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News Digital)

«Morris Katz is one of the chief parties responsible for the catastrophic campaign of scandal-ridden Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner,» the letter reads. «Billed as a top adviser to the campaign, Katz helped recruit Platner and supercharged his candidacy with slick video production, friendly media placements and political connections.»

Democratic sources claim that Katz pitched Platner as a potential successor to an elderly Sen. Bernie Sanders and a potential presidential contender — a characterization he now denies.

After Platner announced his intention to suspend his candidacy, Katz wrote on X that «as soon as the team became aware of the rape allegations against Graham Platner we advised he suspend his candidacy, and in the following days worked to wind down the campaign» and that he was «deeply disappointed.»

PLATNER AIDE HIT WITH BRUTAL TIMELINE CHECK AFTER CAMPAIGN DENIED RAPE CLAIM, THEN FOLDED DAYS LATER

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a primary-night watch party for congressional candidate Claire Valdez at 99 Scott Studio on June 23, 2026, in Brooklyn. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

A community note attached to his post points out that Platner’s campaign initially denied the rape allegation.

Katz also threatened former Platner staffer Genevieve McDonald in an attempt to dissuade her from cooperating with reporters seeking to cover Platner’s alleged emotional abuse of women.

«Just want to be clear on where we are right now,» Katz wrote in the message obtained by the Bangor Daily News. «If the story goes in its current iteration we’ll communicate directly on the record, and by name, that Genevieve violated the personal trust of Amy and Graham and shared explicit falsehoods to sabotage the campaign.»

Katz also faced criticism earlier this year over a puberty book he previously authored.

The political consultant authored a book in 2020 that bills itself as a «puberty book» for «curious boys» aged 10 to 12. Sections of the book include «Your New Penis» and «The Magic of Masturbation.»

In a footnote on page 15 of the text, Katz wrote that he planned to «use images of my penis» to show children how genitalia develop during puberty, but that publishers shot the idea down for being «inappropriate.» Conservative critics swiftly condemned him over the remark, with Katz later saying the comment was joke. 

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«Only a perverted freak would say that,» wildly popular conservative X account «Libs of TikTok,» which is operated by Chaya Raichik, posted to X in March. 

«Morris Katz’s musings about exposing himself to ten-year-olds are absolutely disgusting,» the National Republican Senatorial Committee said of Katz back in March as news of the footnote spread. 

Mamdani’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

El presidente ruso, Vladímir Putin, inició este lunes la campaña para las elecciones legislativas de septiembre con la detención del opositor Borís Nadezhdin, exaspirante al Kremlin en 2024.

Nadezhdin, de 63 años, fue trasladado a una comisaría horas antes de que Putin participara en su primer acto electoral, en un intento de revertir la caída en los sondeos del partido oficialista Rusia Unida. Poco después, el dirigente opositor fue liberado.

Antiguo colaborador del asesinado viceprimer ministro Borís Nemtsov, fue uno de los pocos políticos rusos que acudió hace dos años al entierro del fallecido líder opositor Alexéi Navalni.

Nadezhdin, la última esperanza

“Vino la policía. Me llevan a la comisaría de Dolgoprudni”, un distrito de la región de Moscú, escribió en su cuenta de Telegram el político.

Horas después, Nadezhdin publicó un mensaje en el que informó haber sido acusado de extremismo por publicar en 2023 un enlace con una imagen de Navalni.

“No he cometido el acto del que se me acusa. Nunca publiqué y no pienso publicar en ningún lugar una imagen con simbología extremista”, escribió el político, que había sido declarado el viernes agente extranjero por el Ministerio de Justicia.

Nadezhdin, cuyo nombre es muy similar a la palabra “esperanza”, aseguró entonces que proseguiría la campaña de recogida de firmas de cara a las parlamentarias del 20 de septiembre, aduciendo que la legislación no se lo impedía.

Leé también: Trump anunció que EE.UU. se convirtió en “el guardián del estrecho de Ormuz” y que cobrará un arancel del 20% a los barcos

En cambio, según la prensa local, desde la enmienda introducida en mayo de 2024 el estatus de agente extranjero impide a la persona afectada concurrir a unos comicios.

Por si había alguna duda, fuentes policiales informaron hoy a la agencia de noticias TASS que Nadezhdin podría ser arrestado durante 15 días por extremismo, lo que lo inhabilitaría definitivamente como candidato a un escaño en la Duma o cámara de diputados.

Tras horas de detención en una comisaría de la región de Moscú, Nadezhdin fue puesto en libertad y tendrá que presentarse ante el juez que estudia su caso el próximo viernes, 17 de julio.

Enemigo del pueblo

Nadezhdin acusó al Kremlin de intentar “excluir a los rivales más peligrosos” para garantizar “el resultado deseado”.

El político, que llegó a tener una intención de voto del 15 % en vísperas de las elecciones presidenciales, también comparó la categoría de agente extranjero con la de “enemigo del pueblo” de tiempos soviéticos.

Nadezhdin también intentó presentar su candidatura en los comicios presidenciales de marzo de 2024 abogando, entre otras cosas, por unas negociaciones de paz entre rusos y ucranianos. No obstante, la Comisión Electoral Central (CEC) rechazó su solicitud por defectos de forma durante el proceso de recogida de firmas.

“Todo por la victoria” en Ucrania

“Todo por la victoria” era el nombre del foro de la plataforma patriótica Frente Popular en el que participó Putin este lunes.

“Nuestra fuerza reside en que siempre superamos todas las dificultades y todos los temores. Y eso nos hace más fuertes. Y es precisamente por eso que, por supuesto, siempre vamos hacia adelante y seguiremos haciéndolo”, proclamó desde la tribuna.

Las declaraciones de Putin, realizadas frente a militares y miembros de sus familias, se producen después de que la CEC aprobara el domingo las listas electorales de once partidos.

Leé también: La administración Trump aseguró que la Corte Penal Internacional representa “una amenaza intolerable” contra los Estados Unidos

Debido al hartazgo con la guerra, la contracción económica, el alza de los precios, el bloqueo de internet y, más recientemente, la grave crisis de suministro de combustible debido a los ataques ucranianos contra las refinerías en todo el país, la popularidad de Rusia Unida se encuentra bajo mínimos históricos, según los sondeos.

Según medios independientes, la formación gubernamental supera a duras penas el 20 % en intención de voto, mientras las compañías demoscópicas oficialistas le otorgan un porcentaje por encima del 30.

Yábloko, el único partido opositor legal en Rusia, tiene difícil superar el 5 % de votos, el mínimo para acceder al arco parlamentario, ya que su postura pacifista ha hecho que muchos de sus candidatos hayan sido encarcelados o excluidos de la carrera electoral por criticar la campaña militar en Ucrania.

(Con información de EFE)

A controversial United Nations agency is being investigated by U.S. officials for alleged ties to terrorism. The U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the U.N. organization for Palestinian refugees, has more than 1,500 employees being probed for links to terrorism.

U.S. officials have increasingly called on U.N. member states to defund UNRWA after decades of concerns about its school materials promoting terror, the presence of Hamas tunnels beneath UNRWA schools and charges that staff members participated in the Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7 against Israel.

US URGES DONORS TO ABANDON UNRWA FUNDING AS UN DEFENDS AGENCY’S MISSION

While the U.N. conducted its own UNRWA investigation in 2024 through the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) following claims that 19 UNRWA employees were part of the Oct. 7. attacks, OIOS found insufficient evidence to support the participation of 10 employees. For the remaining nine, UNRWA terminated their contracts.

As the USAID Office of the Inspector General, a law enforcement agency separate from USAID, continues to investigate 1,500 UNRWA employees, it recently announced that it had referred a total of 108 current or former UNRWA staff to the State Department for suspension or exclusion from working with organizations that receive U.S. funds. Those members were found to be involved in the Hamas invasion of southern Israel, or were members of terrorist groups.

A U.S. diplomatic official briefed by USAID OIG investigators confirmed to Fox News Digital that at least 1,500 current or former UNRWA employees are under investigation for ties to foreign terrorist organizations in Gaza.

Aid trucks of The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) deliver aid near Gaza City on June 19. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A senior U.S. official who spoke with Fox News Digital said that the USAID OIG investigation «smartly picked up where the U.N. failed» by looking beyond Oct. 7 participation. The official said the USAID OIG investigation is «critical, as U.S. taxpayers should never fund the salaries of aid workers that are members of a foreign terrorist organization.» 

The senior official told Fox News Digital, «USAID OIG’s investigation is helping prevent terrorists from criss-crossing across aid organizations that have received or are seeking U.S. or Board of Peace funding.»

Hamas was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 1997 by the State Department, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group (SDGT) in 2001.

HAMAS SAYS IT WILL DISSOLVE GAZA GOVERNMENT, BUT ISRAEL WARNS GROUP STILL SEEKS HEZBOLLAH-STYLE CONTROL

Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip on Dec. 1, 2025. (Omar Al-Qatta / AFP via Getty Images)

In the press release describing its effort, the USAID OIG said that individuals referred for debarment included «UNRWA school principals, teachers, security personnel, attendants, psychosocial counselors and medical professionals.»

They included two deputy school principals, one of whom served as a Hamas deputy company commander and another of whom was a squad leader. USAID OIG additionally referred a teacher with «expertise as a sniper for Hamas,» and one who tracked explosive device assignments. Another referred individual was a school principal assigned to a Hamas military manufacturing unit. Under his school, there were «three anti-tank positions and a tunnel shaft.»

In the case of Oct. 7 involvement, the USAID OIG specifically mentioned a teacher ordered «to bring two anti-tank missiles to a prescribed location during the Oct. 7 terror attacks,» and a deputy school principal charged with communications.

TRUMP-BACKED BOARD OF PEACE, ISRAEL ‘WILL TAKE ACTION’ IF HAMAS REMAINS OUT OF COMPLIANCE: NETANYAHU ADVISOR

President Donald Trump attends the inaugural Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., Feb. 19, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

The USAID OIG stated that it expects to make further referrals to the State Department in addition to «potential criminal referrals to the Department of Justice.»

As a result of its investigations, the State Department has banned Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa from any future work with U.S. government entities. An UNRWA school principal, Mousa was working with the Hamas East Jabaliya Battalion and «coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the Oct. 7 attacks,» the USAID OIG report explains.

Photos released by the Israeli Defense Force show three individuals that the Israeli military claims are Hamas terrorists inside an UNRWA compound in Rafah. (IDF)

In response to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether it will blacklist other identified UNRWA employees, a State Department spokesperson said that «it is no surprise that another 100 UNWRA employees were determined to be involved in the barbaric Oct. 7 attack. President Trump and Secretary Rubio have affirmed time and time again that no State Department funding will be provided to UNWRA, which has been totally infiltrated by Hamas and terrorist sympathizers.»

On July 1, the Board of Peace posted on X that UNRWA «has no place in the new Gaza.»

An official briefed on developments with the Board of Peace told Fox News Digital that the USAID OIG’s investigations are «quite concerning to us.»

An American flag and USAID flag fly outside the USAID building in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 1, 2025. (REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon)

The official explained that «we can’t really have an institution operating inside of Gaza where they’re purportedly delivering aid and services to two million people but also allegedly participating in and supporting terrorism. That is anathema to creating a safe and prosperous Gaza for Gazans.» Moving forward without UNRWA will require being «responsible and deliberate in terms of how we transition those services over to ensure there are no gaps in critical aid delivery, whether it’s health services, vaccinations, food, or other goods.»

Last month, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) posted about the infiltration of UNRWA on X, saying, «It is time for the United States to take action to address this growing problem and the systemic radicalization in UNRWA facilities.» Risch said he would work with the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. «to root out the terrorist links at the U.N.»

The U.S. Representative for United Nations Management and Reform, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, told a U.N. meeting in June on UNRWA funding, that it was time «to break this cycle.»

«This year, you have the choice to stop underwriting an organization that has become a subsidiary of Hamas, whose employees took part in one of the most barbaric terrorist attacks in human history on Oct. 7, 2023,» Bartos said. «This year, you have the choice to give the Palestinian people living in Gaza the opportunity to find durable solutions and prosper, instead of subjecting them to endless cycles of dependency and forever refugeehood.»

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Hamas’ theft of aid is continuing to cause harm in Gaza. While not calling out Hamas by name, on Sunday, the U.N. Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov released a statement strongly condemning the «obstruction of humanitarian operations in Gaza by the de facto authorities.» He noted that the previous day, «armed personnel affiliated with the de facto authorities forcibly entered the Abu Rashid food distribution point in Jabalia,» and additionally «entered a [World Food Programme] warehouse and reportedly assaulted two truck drivers who were delivering humanitarian supplies.»

Alakbarov said the incidents «are not isolated» and «reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations.»

Fox News Digital reached out to UNRWA for comment.