Mayor Zohran Mamdani took advantage of his taxpayer-funded housing to film a slick campaign video for a lefty candidate in a contentious New York congressional race -- sparking backlash from critics who said it could run afoul of conflict of interest laws.

Hizzoner, in the social media clip released Thursday, could be seen palling around with Parkland survivor David Hogg at Gracie Mansion.

The mayor and Hogg, of the group, Leaders We Deserve, solicitated donations for Democratic Socialists of America member Claire Valdez, who is running for New York's 7th House District seat.

Councilman Phil Wong's office told The Post the lawmaker was planning to file a complaint with the city's Conflict of Interest Board over the video.

One Democratic operative called it "unseemly," but said they weren't sure if it actually crossed a legal line.

“[If] Eric Adams had done it; they would have a f--king aneurysm,” the source griped.

One staffer of the former mayor's fumed that the video was "typical DSA bulls--t."

"Rules for thee but not for me," said ex-Adams staffer Menashe Shapiro, charging of Mamdani: “He’s turning the entirety of city government into a DSA propaganda tool."

Last year, Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) was dinged by the COIB for using City Council letterhead when fundraising for then-GOP nominee for mayor, Curtis Sliwa.

"The press release contained the seal of the City Council, a City resource that cannot be used for political endorsements," the board wrote.

Ariola paid $2,000 to settle the foul.

"I got dinged for a violation for using a Council Seal in a statement regarding a candidate, but this guy is out here using Gracie Mansion for a campaign shoot and nobody seems to care," Ariola fumed.

"It seems the old saying, 'Rules for thee and not for me' is still holding true. Where is COIB on this?"

Calls to City Hall and Valdez's campaign were not immediately returned.

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Round 2!

President Trump’s administration isn’t giving up its fight against congestion pricing.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Friday filed a notice that he plans to appeal a federal judge’s decision that paved the way for the controversial tolling scheme to proceed.

Manhattan federal court Judge Lewis Liman in March put the kibosh on Duffy’s previous efforts to end the toll, that charges drivers below 60th Street.

The appeal would aim to overturn that March 3 decision.

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani decried the "tragic" death of a 9-year-old boy, who was fatally struck by a bus in in Brooklyn on Friday morning.

The kid was crossing at Lee Avenue and Lorimer Street in Williamsburg around 8:30 a.m. when he was hit.

He died at the scene.

They're giving Zo a red card.

Soccer superfan Mayor Zohran Mamdani's emergency order blocking events at city parks during the FIFA World Cup threatens to ruin summer for everyday New Yorkers, desperate lawmakers warned.

City Councilwoman Virginia Maloney urged Mamdani to reverse the order in a Thursday letter exclusively obtained by The Post, warning it'll wipe out a season's worth of free neighborhood programming across the Big Apple.

“City parks host thousands of free events each summer, and this order threatens to cancel all of it," she warned in the letter, joined by fellow Council members Gale Brewer, Ty Hankerson, Oswald Feliz and Justin Sanchez.

The order signed by Mamdani in April denied new permits for special events on park property during the World Cup tournament from June 11 to July 19.

Hizzoner's move came at the behest of NYPD officials, who worried about effectively deploying manpower and resources as roughly 1.2 million visitors are expected to descent on the New York metro region for the eight World Cup games at MetLife Stadium.

But the Council members' letters argues that the order blocking permits for any gathering of 20 or more people would choke off other popular summer events, ranging from free outdoor concerts to kids' festivals to movie nights to cultural heritage celebrations.

The directive would also affect end-of-year celebrations and other activities for students, families and schools in June, the letter contends.

“BIDs serve everyday New Yorkers, not only tourists or soccer fans,” Maloney wrote, referring to Business Improvement Districts, the public-private partnerships that keep streets clean and lively by funding free events like concerts, movie nights and festivals. 

Maloney urged the administration, in a letter sent Thursday to Mamdani, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and “World Cup Czar” Maya Handa, to scrap an emergency order that freezes new permits for gatherings of 20 or more people in 100 parks from June 11 to July 19, the span of the tournament.

Maloney, joined by Council members Gale Brewer, Ty Hankerson, Oswald Feliz and Justin Sanchez, said the soccer fanatic mayor's permit freeze is causing “serious and disproportionate harm” to communities that rely on summer events.

“BIDs serve everyday New Yorkers, not only tourists or soccer fans,” Maloney wrote, referring to Business Improvement Districts, the public-private partnerships that keep streets clean and lively by funding free events like concerts, movie nights and festivals. 

Maloney's letter argued regular New Yorkers are being sidelined while official FIFA fan zones that Mamdani announced last week can proceed.

"While we are excited that the official FIFA Free World Cup fan zones are moving forward, our
neighborhood-level, community-run, often free programming that serves the people who live here has been shut out in the process," the letter states.

"We are calling on the Administration to end this emergency order and restore the permit process so that New Yorkers can have their summer back."

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed tax on luxury second homes in the Big Apple will fall far short of its $500 million goal -- and drive wealthy residents out of the city, according to the city comptroller's office.

City Comptroller Mark Levine found that the proposed policy — framed as a needed revenue booster for the city and state — would likely bring in closer to $340-$380 million, over $100 million less than Hochul and Mamdani have claimed.

The tax — which would apply to secondary homes priced a $5 million or more and follow a sliding scale based on assessed value — would target around 13,000 residences, but the comptroller's audit warned that revenue estimates were based heavily on unknown factors.

Many of the pricey pads are rented to tenants by the owners, which may exclude them from the tax, and it was unclear how the levy would treat homes owned by trusts, LLCs, or family members.

The report, released Thursday, also looked at a similar tax implemented in Vancouver, Canada in 2017 — which resulted in nearly 60% of second home owners selling off their properties to avoid the costly fee as of 2025.  

The comptroller assumes the city could see a similar scramble to sell homes -- estimating an around 10% revenue loss.

City housing officials refused to share details of big money private-public partnership contracts even as they said they needed $7 billion in capital funding at a fiery City Council hearing Wednesday.

The New York City Housing Authority touted the city's RAD/PACT program as a silver bullet that would re-vamp derelict public housing buildings through private partnerships -- but officials admitted that 14,222 units are still under planning and bringing them to fruition will cost them a whopping $7 billion.

Chris Banks, the chair of the City Council's Committee on Public Housing, grilled NYCHA on the what the developer fees cost per unit each year -- but the group insisted they could not disclose the numbers because of open bidding.

"If we share that detail, it tampers are ability to negotiate those fees and future projects," said Heather Beck, NYCHA's deputy chief real estate officer.

Beck doubled down when Banks inquired into how the private contracts compare to city land lease agreements -- which are supposed to be public record -- claiming they were not.

"So it's your testimony is that that's private information?" Banks quipped.

"That is information that NYCHA is not comfortable sharing because it hampers our ability to negotiate in future project," Beck replied.

The RAD/PACT program has converted more31,000 units so far that were in need of renovation, replacement or repair -- with over 15,000 completed construction.

The group receives funding for the private-public partnership through city capital funding -- and the group invested nearly $10 billion into makeovers for the converted units -- averaging about $316,00 subsidies per unit.

Banks also noted that he head heard complaints from private developers that NYCHA was "lackadaisical" about filling newly renovated apartments -- despite a clogged waitlist of tenants, but NYCHA pointed the finger at PACT partners.

"Our teams, the property management teams, are the ones who work through that list to identify households, to fill units. So it's the responsibility of the pact partner to match households to their vacant units," Beck argued, asking Banks to provide her a list of the properties he was referring to.

"I shouldn't have to sit and give you a breakdown of what developments are needed. So please check that list and fill those vacancies," Banks shot back.

The City Council's executive capital plan for FY2026 currently includes $1.94 billion in funding for the RAD/Pact program over the 2025-29 period, with an additional $670 million added to the FY2027 preliminary budget -- bringing total projected funding for the next fiscal year to $1 billion.

ALBANY – Poor us!

A Democratic state lawmaker pitched a bill that would exempt her and her colleagues from having to pay their burdensome utility and internet bills while as a party standoff continued to stall budget talks.

Assembly member Larinda Hooks (D-Brooklyn) is pushing a bill to offer the put-upon legislators who aren't getting paid after the state blew past its April 1 budget deadline, with lawmakers approving an extender Wednesday that kicks negotiations into May.

"New York State employs over 130,000 individuals whose compensation depends on timely budget enactment," a memo accompanying the bill said. "When budget negotiations extend past the April 1 deadline, affected employees may be unable to meet utility payment obligations during the interruption period."

The legislation was quickly panned by critics as a “silly conversation” – especially given that New York Senators and Assembly members are the highest-paid state lawmakers in the country – making $142,000 on top of per diems for travel to Albany.

“We don’t need to pass laws to benefit ourselves because we do our, one of our most basic parts of our job, which is passing a budget,” Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra (R-Nassau) told reporters Wednesday.

“It’s kind of a silly conversation to talk about having utility relief that’s only going to be for us."

“I never try to explain asinine,” state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) told The Post in the chamber’s lobby early Wednesday afternoon.

By then, the lobby was largely vacated as Senators flocked to the exits after having approved the eighth stopgap measure to keep all other state workers paid while majority Democrats haggle over a full deal behind closed doors.

“We're way past timely and we're getting close to just inexcusably late,” Lanza said.

Lawmakers didn’t have to approve the extender Wednesday, though Gov. Kathy Hochul graciously gave the legislature the bill to them a day early so they could run home to begin their weekends in accordance with their pre-planned schedule.

“I think it speaks for itself that there seems to be no urgency on this thing,” Ra said.

Seventeen current and former legislators are demanding that Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration enforce the state's controversial green energy law -- even while admitting they knew the mandates could trigger a spike in energy costs when approving them.

The extraordinary admission came in an April 17 court brief supporting a lawsuit filed by climate change activists.

The environmental groups sued to try to force Hochul's administration to comply with the green mandates of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 over concerns that the deadlines are unrealistic and the requirements are inflating utility bills and walloping ratepayers.

The filing claims the architects of the law knew all along the mandates would be pricey.

"The Act’s language confirms that economic considerations were incorporated into its framework," the law states. "The [law] also directly acknowledges that the transition to a clean energy economy may impose costs and affect certain sectors more than others.

The law acknowledged "the risk of job displacement" and "adverse effects on small businesses" but said the state Department of Environmental Conservation should work to try to minimize cost to everyday New Yorkers, the eco activist politicians said in the filing.

"This general mandate does not, however, as DEC suggests, instruct the agency to avoid the costs of climate action altogether by refusing to comply with the mandate to issue regulations," they stated. "Rather, the Act directs DEC to manage and mitigate those costs while carrying out the statute’s emissions reduction goals."

The brief was signed by lawmakers including Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Housing Committee Chair Linda Rosenthal, and Democratic Socialists of America Assembly members Emily Gallagher, Diana Moreno and Phara Souffrant Forrest.

The amicus curiae brief was filed in a lawsuit filed by climate change activists to force the Hochul administration to implement the law, instead of fighting to delay compliance.

A state Supreme Court judge ordered Hochul to enforce the law, but the administration filed an appeal while the governor negotiates to amend the edict, which would make the court case moot.   

Business and consumer advocates blasted the "out of touch" filing by lawmakers in support of raising energy prices.

“This amicus brief is completely out of touch—and frankly, unconscionable," said Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United. "At a time when New Yorkers are already struggling with rising costs, these lawmakers are going out of their way to advocate in court for a position that would effectively force many struggling families to shoulder steep new energy and transportation expenses just to heat their homes and commute to work."

Ken Lovett, the governor's senior communications advisor on energy and environment, said "struggling New Yorkers cannot be expected to shoulder higher costs" as he blamed the federal government for increasing costs across the board.

 “While we don’t comment on pending litigation, Governor Hochul has made clear the need to make common-sense changes to the law to keep the lights on and costs down for all New Yorkers," Lovett said. "While some would have us bury our heads in the sand by ignoring the economic and political challenges we face, Governor Hochul is focused on delivering for New Yorkers.”

A report by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority claims that without changes, the impact of the climate change act by 2031 could boost gas at the pump by $2.23 a gallon, increase natural gas costs to $2,300 a year in New York City households and more than $4,000 a year for upstate households The state would only be able to offset some of those costs, the analysis said.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani quipped that he wants to ask King Charles III to return one of the British monarchy’s crown jewels as the UK head of states tours New York City Wednesday.

The mayor, who was set to attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum with the king, told reporters that if he got a chance to speak to the him, he'd ask that the UK give back the 100-karat Koh-i-Noor diamond, which has been used in Queen Elizabeth II's crown.

“If I was to speak to the king ... I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond,” Hizzoner said during an unrelated press conference in The Bronx, when asked about his expected meeting with Charles.

The diamond, which is estimated to be worth up to $1 billion, has been used by British royalty for decades and its ownership has been contested by India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

The Indian government renewed calls for the diamond’s return in 2022 following the queen’s death. 

New renderings for a revamped Park Avenue corridor were released by the DOT Wednesday, showing the bustling thoroughfare reimagined as more pedestrian-friendly.

Two versions of a plan for an 11-block stretch of the busy boulevard -- spanning from East 46th to East 57th streets -- depict expanded medians, wider sidewalks and an abundance of greenery.

"Park Ave. got its name because a century ago it had a literal park in the median," City Comptroller Mark Levine wrote in a post to X Wednesday, posting a vintage photo of Park Avenue before its sprawling medians were thinned out for thru-traffic.

"Now at last, the park is coming back," he wrote.

The project was made possible as a result of the MTA's reconstruction of the Grand Central Terminal train shed, a 100-year-old structure that sits directly below the Park Avenue stretch.

The street redesign will take place in tandem with required repairs to the century-old shed.

The city released two final designs that New Yorkers are invited to vote on via an online survey.

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The royals aren't the only Brits invading New York.

Two left wing politicians from the British Parliament -- fans of Mayor Zohran Mamdani -- huddled with Hizzoner's fellow New York City members of the Democratic Socialists of America on Tuesday.

Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the UK’s Labour Party, met with DSA members. 

Forced out of the Labour Party after facing allegations of antisemitism, Corbyn volunteered at a Mamdani campaign phone bank last fall.

He was joined by British Labour Party politician Bell Ribeiro-Addy.

"We were proud to welcome @jeremycorbyn and @BellRibeiroAddy to NYC today to discuss building socialism across the Atlantic with movement allies," NYC-DSA said in a statement on  X with a photo of the duo surrounded by American socialists.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be in New York on Wednesday and are expected to cross paths with the mayor.

City Council members pressed the Mamdani administration on its readiness for the 2026 World Cup during an Economic Development Committee hearing Tuesday, raising concerns about spending, permits and public communication.

Matches will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from June 13 through the final on July 19, but New York City expects hundreds of thousands of visitors on their side of the Hudson River.

“We’ve had eight years to prepare,” Committee Chair Virginia Maloney said. “Forty-five days out, we should have a clear and functional plan.”

Maloney questioned the return on the city’s $90 million investment to prepare for the games, noting hotel bookings are trailing projections.

But Mamdani administration officials assured the council that everything is on track for the summer games. 

"I'm comfortable everyone will find a place to watch," said Ellyn Canfield, executive director of NYC World Cup operations.

She said the $90 million will support operations, planning and community programming such as public watch parties and that about $20 million of that flows through the Economic Development Corporation on a reimbursement basis.

Canfield also said the city is developing events to boost local businesses and cultural institutions, pointing to the mayor’s recent announcement of free fan festivals in all five boroughs.

Canfield said a full calendar of “thousands of events across the boroughs" will be released in about a month.

Still, some lawmakers said details are coming too slowly.

“I don’t know where to tell people to go,” Council Member Gale Brewer said.

Maloney also questioned the administration about the fact that no permits have been granted for watch parties or other World Cup-related events yet.

Dawn Tulson, who oversees citywide event coordination, said street permits are typically issued about seven days before events, adding that applications are under review across multiple agencies.

The administration also said it is coordinating with the MTA to handle increased transit demand.

Meanwhile council members are advancing legislation tied to the tournament.

One bill would require a plan to expand public bathroom access.

Another would mandate an official online calendar of World Cup events by June 1.

A third proposal would create a “cultural passport” encouraging visitors to explore all five boroughs.

Canfield said a similar passport program is already in development, featuring artist-designed stamps at cultural sites citywide.

The mayor’s office indicated it does not oppose the bills, noting they align with ongoing efforts.

Maloney said, based on the rosy picture painted by members of the administration at the hearing, that she expected the city to be completely ready for the tournament by June 1. No one from the administration disagreed with her.

"The eyes of the world will be on New York," Maloney said. "Time is of the essence."