Yes, Mamdani just made a business-basher his NYC economic development czar

For the first six months of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s tenure, the leadership of New York City’s Economic Development Corporation remained a question mark.Last week he answered that question — and raised even more.Mamdani appointed Lina Khan, President Joe Biden’s notorious antitrust crusader, to chair the EDC’s board, and selected Anthony Shorris, a former first deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio and current partner at McKinsey & Co., as EDC president.Former mayors used the EDC as a vehicle for growth, investment and job creation.Khan’s appointment signals that Mamani, in contrast, plans to wield it as a lever to remake the city’s economy in a progressive mold.And as Gotham struggles to compete against fast-growing, low-tax Sun Belt cities, Khan’s influence could make New York even less business-friendly.For years, the EDC’s primary ambit has involved overseeing real estate development and public-private partnerships within the city.Because it operates under more flexible procurement and staffing rules than the infamously ossified city government does, it can move faster to pursue deals and complete projects.Hudson Yards, the new Yankee Stadium and the NYC ferry system are just a few of its successes.But Mamdani was slow to appoint new leadership, leaving the corporation rudderless.And top aides like Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su have made it clear that he intends to remake the EDC as a conduit for economic justice.Candidates for the agency’s leadership positions were reportedly peppered with questions about holding companies accountable, not queries on boosting the city’s economic competitiveness, in their job interviews.Khan, who chaired of the Federal Trade Commission under Biden — and who, according to The New York Times, has “limited experience in economic development” — oversaw those interviews.She’s a controversial figure, and for good reason: Her reign as FTC chair was marked by her openly anti-business bent.Duri...