Prominent liberal podcaster and New York University professor Scott Galloway has voiced strong criticism of a new database released by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing that it unfairly targets and potentially endangers wealthy property owners. The database, which identifies affluent individuals who own non-primary residences, is intended to support the city’s proposed “pied-a-terre” tax, but critics like Galloway contend it amounts to doxing and creates undue public pressure.
‘Doxed’ by a ‘Wanted Poster’
On a recent episode of the “Pivot” podcast, co-hosted with Kara Swisher, Galloway declared he had been “doxed” by Mayor Mamdani’s administration. He explained that the city’s Department of Finance had published a searchable list of approximately 950,000 residences, including owner names and addresses, that might be subject to the new tax. Galloway, a self-proclaimed fan of progressive taxation, expressed dismay at the method, likening the list to a “wanted poster” for property owners.
“I don’t love this,” Swisher concurred on the podcast. “It feels a little bit like doxing. Just tax them and get on with it is my feeling.”
Galloway cited the definition of doxing as “publishing private identifying information to expose someone to public pressure or harm without their consent.” He questioned the necessity and wisdom of publishing such a list, particularly given the timing, referencing a high-profile murder of a healthcare CEO in the city. “The question I would have is, other than trying to identify and imply these people have done something wrong — and then, 18 months after a healthcare CEO was executed in the street, published the list — what is the upside here? Why is he doing this?” Galloway asked.
Playing into Conservative Narratives
The podcaster further argued that Mamdani’s actions inadvertently validate conservative arguments against progressive tax policies. “He’s not only playing into the worst fears about him, but he’s making it harder for all progressives,” Galloway stated. “I believe in a progressive tax structure. I believe we should raise tax rates. The Republicans… argue that progressive tax structures are persecution. This plays exactly into that entire narrative.”
Galloway believes the mayor is implying that success itself is wrong. “He’s implying we’ve done something wrong because we’re successful,” he said. “New York is the last place you want to demonize success.” He emphasized that New York’s appeal lies in its celebration of ambition and achievement, not in stigmatizing those who attain it. “The reason people move to New York is they think, ‘I want to be successful on Broadway. I want to be successful in business. I want to be successful in the arts. No one’s going to get in my f—ing way if I’m really talented and work hard,’” Galloway elaborated. “We’re going to celebrate it. We’re not going to put a big R on your door and say you’ve done something wrong because you’re successful.”
Adding to his concern, Galloway noted that a significant majority of individuals on the published list may not even be subject to the pied-a-terre tax. “Ninety-five percent of the people on the list supposedly aren’t going to be subject to the tax. Other than implying these people have done something wrong and publishing their address without their permission, without their consent, what possible upside is there from publishing this list?” he questioned.
City Defends Publication as Legal Requirement
A spokesperson for the Department of Finance stated that the publication of the property roll is mandated by state law. Mayor Mamdani’s office further clarified that the city routinely publishes property tax rolls, a practice that has been ongoing for many years, similar to other municipalities.
“The first is, and the reason for establishing this is some of them have been conflated,” Mamdani said at a press conference. “The first is that, just like localities from Nassau to Albany, we publish property tax rolls in accordance with the law, as the city has done twice a year for years, frankly, if not decades and centuries.”
The mayor emphasized that the tax roll released last week encompasses all properties in New York City, not exclusively those targeted by the pied-a-terre tax. “And the tax property role that was posted last week is a reflection of all properties across New York City, not a reflection of those specifically that the pied-a-terre tax will be levied upon,” Mamdani explained. He reiterated that the pied-a-terre tax itself applies only to non-primary residences valued at over $5 million.
A city official elaborated that state law requires the publication of a roll detailing every property parcel subject to NYC property taxes, including ownership information and assessment values. “This is not new,” the official asserted. “The roll is not a pied-a-terre list… This is a state mandated roll that has to be generated to be used as a pool/universe that DOF will examine to identify which properties are subject to a surcharge.” The official noted that this process is distinct from the separate notifications sent to approximately 17,000 individuals who might be subject to the surcharge.
The city maintains that this practice aligns with longstanding New York State laws, with similar citywide property tax rolls published annually for decades. The process for implementing new taxes or surcharges consistently involves state legislation, followed by the publication of a roll, which the Department of Finance then uses to identify applicable properties based on state-defined parameters. The official also pointed out that existing public records systems, like ACRIS, already allow searches by name, BBL, and address.
Industry Groups Raise Concerns
James Whelan, President of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), expressed opposition to the pied-a-terre tax, partly due to anticipated complexities in its administration. “We opposed this tax in part because we warned that determining who is and is not subject to it would be extraordinarily complicated,” Whelan stated. He added that the issuance of potentially inaccurate notices to many owners raises serious questions about the city’s preparedness to manage the program effectively, noting that even REBNY was surprised by the extent of the implementation flaws.
The city official also cited Governor Kathy Hochul’s remarks on the matter and a reporter’s observation that the data is regularly released as part of the city’s property tax assessment roll, which is publicly accessible. Numerous other cities, including Nassau, Buffalo, and Rochester, were also mentioned as having similar publicly available property information.
