The head of a major lefty video agency who shot digital video ads for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s successful campaign made an outrageous false claim about the unhinged attacker who terrorized Jewish New Yorkers during Shabbat services at a Manhattan synagogue, The Post has learned.
“Apparently this guy was an orthodox jew who was lashing out at jews. I wouldn’t call that an ‘antisemitic attack,’” Debbie Saslaw claimed on X, linking to a Post story on the arrest with a headline calling it an “antisemitic attack.”
As it turns out, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged the accused attacker, Larry Montes with two counts of assault as a hate crime, two counts of aggravated harassment and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime for his Friday night rampage at the Central Synagogue on the Upper East Side.
The firm Saslaw co-founded, Melted Solids, prominently features its work for the Mamdani campaign.
The agency has also worked on the campaigns of Vermont Sen. and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, House Democratic nominees Brad Lander and Claire Valdez and former Congressman Jamaal Bowman, among others.
Saslaw, who was a “senior producer” for the campaign, said she is no longer associated with Mamdani or his campaign.
Montes, a Bronx resident, allegedly admitted to cops that his actions were religiously motivated, and called those worshiping inside the synagogue “swine” and “fake Jews,” Assistant District Attorney Ali Fazal said in court Saturday night.
The 46-year-old assailant “intentionally struck a 63-year-old worshipper’s face, causing her to sustain the laceration on her lip and fall to the ground,” Fazal said.
Prosecutors said Montes then “grabbed and threw two religious candles and candle holders, causing them to break,” valued at around $10,000 each.
“In addition to having animus towards Jewish individuals, the defendant admitted to having racial animus towards black people,” the ADA said during Montes’ arraignment.
“Before exiting the building, the defendant turned his attention away from the worshippers onto the security guard… a 65-year-old African American man,” the ADA added.
He also allegedly yelled “f–k the Jews,” sources said.
Saslaw deleted her statement from X, but not before someone screengrabbed it — and she later acknowledged it was a hate crime.
“Sadly it’s a hate crime and i was obviously panicked when i heard early reports but saw nothing on twitter for 4 hours or so,” Saslaw said in a reply on her X account.
Someone responding to her post said he thought Montes might be a “Jews for Jesus” adherent.
“Yeah perhaps that is what i mixed this up with,” Saslaw said.
“I… do not think that guy is Orthodox. Look at him! I have seen zero reporting he is Orthodox. The Sephardic community in the Bronx is super small. Where are you getting this?” another user, Nick Rizzo, then asked Saslaw.
“Family member was there but i could have been confused. will delete if so,” she replied.
Contacted by the Post on Sunday, Saslaw said, “I was obviously mistaken.”
She said she was “mixed up” about whether Montes himself was Jewish.
“I never questioned whether it was a hate crime,” Saslaw claimed.
“I’m extremely disturbed. I was extremely upset by the whole thing,” she added, noting that a family member attended the Central Synagogue Shabbat service.
