Maria Montaño, Pittsburgh mayor's communications director, resigns
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Maria Montaño, the communications director for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, resigned.
Sources told KDKA-TV on Wednesday that Montaño was no longer with the administration, and the mayor's office confirmed her resignation in a statement on Thursday.
Gainey didn't give a specific reason for Montaño's decision, but he did mention the war in Gaza, calling it "a very charged topic." It comes after Montaño signed a petition for a referendum that Jewish groups called antisemitic.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh has strongly condemned the referendum, which seeks to prohibit the city from funding or engaging with any entity doing business with Israel until Israel ends its military action in Gaza.
"Maria's decision to resign from her position was her own and reflects her selfless desire to keep the focus of the administration on the required work and mission of creating a safe and welcoming city for all. I ask that every Pittsburgh resident extend grace, respect, and privacy to Ms. Montaño during this time," Gainey's statement said.
The mayor added that his administration is committed to supporting "the full civil and political rights" of employees, "whether or not their views agree with my own."
Montaño started with the Gainey administration as a press secretary in 2022 before being elevated to communications director. She made history as the first openly transgender woman to serve as press secretary in the city.
Montaño worked as a communications specialist for SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania before joining Gainey's team.
