Lina Khan, an antitrust crusader who targeted Big Tech companies during her tally arsenic caput of nan Federal Trade Commissioner, has been named chair of nan New York City Economic Development Corporation.
The assignment by Mayor Zohran Mamdani was a surprise, and nan latest denotation of nan leftward displacement of nan authorities of nan largest U.S. city.
In a statement, Mamdani said Khan “has fought exploitation and dishonesty successful courtrooms and classrooms crossed nan country, and fixed america nan blueprint for a authorities that delivers for moving people. As chair of nan EDC committee of directors, I cognize that Lina will not only steer our administration’s economical improvement efforts toward a caller era of opportunity, but guarantee justness is nan driving rule down each of our work.”
Along pinch Khan’s caller role, Mamdani said erstwhile lawman politician and metropolis charismatic Anthony Shorris would lead nan EDC arsenic CEO.
The EDC “has a captious domiciled to play successful ensuring that New York’s system is increasing successful ways that make our metropolis much affordable, businesslike and resilient,” Khan said. “I look guardant to moving pinch nan management to beforehand this imagination and make life materially amended for New Yorkers.”
Khan first deed nan nationalist radar successful 2017 pinch her Yale Law School thesis, which based on that Amazon was a monopoly. At nan FTC, she brought antitrust actions against Amazon and different Big Tech firms, arguing they had been allowed to amass undue power.
Her EDC assignment comes much than six months into Mamdani’s tenure. Elected past autumn connected a Democratic Socialist platform, nan politician has promised to present caller services for illustration free buses, city-subsidized market stores and rent freezes. Business leaders person been captious of him, voicing concerns that his moves would unit ample corporations to time off nan city, though nary wide-scale formation has taken spot arsenic of yet.
Commercial occupancy levels successful nan city, on pinch unit spending and nationalist transit usage, person gradually been returning to pre-Covid levels aft respective difficult years owed to nan pandemic and different factors.