New York Mayor Tariq Mamdani’s closest advisers are reportedly organizing a coordinated campaign to target prominent business leaders in the city, according to sources familiar with the matter. The effort is said to involve a network of approximately 200 city employees, described by insiders as an “influencer army,” who would be tasked with criticizing corporate executives to bolster support for the mayor’s tax-and-spend policies.

Two individuals with knowledge of the plans described how the mayor’s core team, often referred to as the “bullpen” due to its open-office setup, is actively strategizing ways to pressure senior executives in New York’s business community. This initiative comes shortly after a public dispute between Mamdani and Citadel founder Ken Griffin. The group appears to be focusing particularly on leaders involved with the Partnership for New York City, a key business advocacy organization that underwent a leadership change earlier this year.

Since January, Steve Fulop, the former mayor of Jersey City, has served as the Partnership’s CEO, succeeding Kathryn Wylde, who was widely seen as a seasoned corporate negotiator. Sources suggest the new leadership has presented an opening for the mayor’s team to intensify scrutiny and criticism of the city’s business elite. One insider noted the aim is to “blindside” Fulop and roll out a series of attacks against the organization’s executive board over the coming months.

Potential targets reportedly include Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, with criticisms centered on drug pricing, as well as Jeff Blau, CEO of Related Companies, which is leading the $2 billion Hudson Yards expansion. According to one source, the mayor’s advisers view any wealthy individual as a potential subject for pressure tactics and have a variety of approaches in mind to challenge their influence.

The coordinated campaign is reportedly being organized through messaging platforms linked to left-wing groups and Democratic Socialists of America affiliates. It reflects Mamdani’s broader effort to address a widening fiscal shortfall in New York City’s budget, which nonpartisan monitors project will reach $13.2 billion by fiscal year 2028. The mayor has emphasized the need to secure additional revenue streams, including proposed tax increases on high-income earners and large corporations.

While the administration has not publicly confirmed the specific details of these plans, the reported tactics underscore the heightened tensions between Mamdani’s office and segments of the city’s business leadership amid ongoing debates over fiscal policy and economic priorities.