Mamdani releases thousands of 9/11 air-quality records, claiming officials ‘lied’ about health risks

Published September 8, 2026 12:48pm ET | Updated September 8, 2026 12:48pm ET



New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani heralded the release of thousands of files related to 9/11 on Tuesday, claiming they prove officials lied to residents about the extent of the terrorist attack’s impact on air quality. 

As part of a $34 million effort, the city launched a new public portal featuring over 170,000 documents related to air quality, including records Mamdani said indicated asbestos was found “nearly everywhere” officials tested around the “ground zero” site where terrorists flew two planes into the World Trade Center towers. Many residents breathed in the hazardous contaminants from the building collapses and became sick “because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” he claimed during a news conference ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

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