PARK SLOPE — COUNCILMEMBER SHAHANA HANIF (D-39) responded to New York Post accusations of corrupt donations and unfavorable conduct on X this week. The news organization reported on Sunday, March 2 that Hanif used discretionary funding to support nonprofit groups tied to her husband — up to $149,000 in taxpayer money. Hanif quickly responded to the article on X calling the claims “false” and “desperate” and saying her relationship to the organizations in question preceded meeting her husband, Abdullah Younus.
Hanif is the first woman to represent the district and the first Bangladeshi and Muslim woman elected to the New York City Council. Hanif did not omit these facts in her response to the New York Post saying, “Donald Trump’s favorite misinformation outlet is at it again. Their latest hit job is full of inaccuracies, flat-out lies and racist and sexist attacks against me.”
Council Member Hanif went on to respond to each accusation by the news outlet with an infographic of her office’s allocations for FY 2024, pictures of a backpack giveaway in Kensington she said required an extra $5K for one of the nonprofits in question and saying the outlet omitted her comment. Comments on her posts varied in support of Hanif and in agreement with the news outlet. Some commenters expressed frustration regarding her donations to any organization involving her husband saying that this is a conflict of interest.
✰✰✰
