Giuliani Denies Hiding 9/11 Toxic Dust Information

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has denied accusations that his administration concealed information about toxic airborne substances present in Lower Manhattan following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Giuliani asserted that the city followed guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding air safety before areas of downtown were reopened.

This statement comes as New York City's Department of Investigation (DOI) has launched a probe to determine what city officials knew about the toxins and when they were aware of potential risks. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration has committed to releasing approximately 170,000 records related to air quality concerns at Ground Zero after the attacks.

Giuliani, who was mayor at the time of the attacks and left office at the end of 2001, stated, "My administration posted everything." He added that the EPA initially advised that conditions were safe. Giuliani noted that he learned more information about the situation about ten months after he left office.

Mayor Mamdani has accused past leaders of misleading the public, stating, "people got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air." Giuliani, a frequent critic of Mamdani, expressed skepticism about the fairness of a DOI probe under the current administration but said he would remain open-minded if it is a fact-finding mission. "DOI can question me — fine," Giuliani said.

Benjamin Chevat, executive director of 9/11 Health Watch, an organization that sued to release the documents, stated that for 25 years, prior mayoral administrations withheld information about the dangers of toxic chemicals while public messaging indicated the air was "safe and acceptable." Chevat acknowledged that mistakes may have been made in the immediate aftermath of the attacks but questioned Giuliani's claim of knowing nothing about the situation.

The DOI's investigation, mandated by a City Council resolution in July 2025, will be supported by outside legal counsel from the firm Epstein Becker & Green. The agency has been allocated $3.8 million over two years for this inquiry. The probe aims to ascertain the knowledge held by mayoral administrations regarding environmental toxins from the World Trade Center collapse and to report findings to the City Council.