DSA Demands Members Freeze Out Morris Katz After Platner Campaign Catastrophe

The Democratic Socialists of America is demanding its members cut ties with Morris Katz, a key adviser to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, after his catastrophic handling of Graham Platner's campaign.

A bombshell letter, signed by over 500 members, urges DSA candidates and elected officials to “no longer contract or work with” Katz or his consulting firm, Fight Agency. This comes after Platner, a candidate for the Maine US Senate seat, dropped out amid serious allegations of rape.

The letter condemns Katz for his role in recruiting Platner and boosting his campaign with polished video production and strategic media placements. It highlights that even as scandals mounted, Katz continued to back Platner, preventing the possibility of replacing him before the primary.

Katz gained notoriety for propelling Mamdani from an underdog to a mayoral victor. His work on Mamdani’s campaign included creating impactful social media content focused on affordability, a key issue for voters.

His success led to high demand among progressive candidates. Katz assisted Claire Valdez and former City Comptroller Brad Lander in their Democratic primary victories. He also worked with Micah Lasher during his successful primary run for Jerry Nadler’s congressional seat.

Outside New York City, Katz’s firm has been involved with Nebraska independent candidate Dan Osborn, who is running for US Senate.

However, none were as high-profile as Platner. Katz joined Platner’s campaign after being recruited by fellow leftist operatives Dan Moraff and Leanne Fan, who sought to project a working-class hero image appealing to DSA voters.

As Platner gained traction, Katz even touted him as a potential presidential candidate for 2028, according to reports.

But the campaign quickly unraveled as troubling details about Platner emerged. He had a Nazi-linked tattoo, a history of disturbing Reddit posts, and faced accusations of mistreating women.

Katz himself drew fire for allegedly threatening a whistleblower from Platner’s team.

The DSA letter indicates that Katz may have overstepped his bounds within the organization. A source revealed that the open letter is circulating among both New York City and national chapters of the DSA, which boasts over 120,000 members nationwide.

The letter criticizes Katz’s previous work, including his role in electing Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.

“Men like Platner must not represent the American Left, and those like Katz who push such candidates should have no role in our movement,” it states.

Following the rape allegations against Platner this week, Katz claimed he advised the candidate to withdraw from the race. “Like so many of his supporters, I’m deeply disappointed,” he posted on X.