The BareStory
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism over several appointments to his transition team. The appointees, chosen to advise on issues including social services, economic policy, and criminal justice, have drawn scrutiny from a congressional committee and a political advocacy group.
One appointee, Wayne Ho, who will serve on the social services committee, is the president of the nonprofit Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC). The CPC is the subject of an active congressional investigation by the House Committee on Homeland Security. The committee's former chairman stated the inquiry began after a video reportedly showed a CPC leader explaining strategies to avoid immigration officials. The current chairman, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, expressed disappointment with the appointment. According to past reports, protesters have also alleged the CPC forced employees to work 24-hour shifts with partial pay, and another report indicated the organization received funds from sources aligned with the Chinese Communist Party.
Separately, Ronna McDaniel, the head of the Competitiveness Coalition and a former Republican National Committee chair, has called on Mamdani to fire transition team co-chair Lina Khan. In a letter, McDaniel described Khan, a former Federal Trade Commission chair, as the "embodiment of inflation" and claimed her policies had previously raised prices and led to job losses. McDaniel argued that Mamdani’s proposed policies, such as rent control and government-run grocery stores, would harm the city's economy.
Mamdani also appointed Mysonne Linen, who was convicted of armed robbery in the 1990s, to advise his transition team on public safety and criminal justice. Linen served seven years in prison for two felony robberies. At his trial, prosecutors said he was part of a group that robbed two cab drivers, one at gunpoint. Mamdani stated he appointed Linen to incorporate the experience of all New Yorkers. Linen, now a leader at a social-justice organization, maintained at the time of his trial that he had been falsely accused.
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
• The appointment of an individual with a past felony conviction to advise on public safety may influence how other cities approach criminal justice reform and policymaking.
• An appointee's connection to an organization under congressional investigation for alleged foreign ties could impact national security vetting procedures for local government advisory roles.
• Economic policies influenced by an appointee previously criticized for raising prices could set precedents for other cities, potentially affecting living costs and job markets.
