The New York Times plays defense after publishing leaked Mamdani college application details

The decision to publish details of Zohran Mamdani's Columbia University application has reignited simmering questions about sourcing and editorial guidelines

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani prepares before the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice on June 12, 2025, in New York City.
The complicated ethnic identities of Zohran Mamdani make news for — and of — The New York Times
(Image credit: Vincent Alban / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)

The New York Times' decision last week to publish leaked details of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's 2009 Columbia University application has thrust the storied paper into a blossoming scandal. Revelations about the leak's origin from overtly far-right figures have threatened to undermine the Times' claims of newsworthiness.

The paper obtained the details through an unnamed intermediary described as someone who "opposes affirmative action and writes often about IQ and race," later identified as eugenicist Jordan Lasker. Now, Mamdani's (ultimately unsuccessful) Columbia application has taken the backseat to a broader furor over the Times' motivation and sourcing.

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Rafi Schwartz, The Week US

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.