Mamdani Chooses Felon Rapper Who Served 7 Years in Prison for Key Criminal Justice Position
Far-left New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be getting his advice on the justice system from a former rapper with a felony conviction.
Mysonne Linen, 49, served seven years in connection with his 1999 conviction for armed robbery, according to the New York Post.
Now, he is a member of the Mamdani administration’s “Committee on the Criminal Legal System,” part of Mamdani’s transition team to advise him on policy.
“This is a testament to our decades of work advocating on behalf of black and brown communities and our expertise in gun violence prevention, legislative advocacy and criminal justice reform,” Linen has said. “We are building something different.”
🚨Meet Zohran Mamdani’s latest appointee, convicted felon Mysonne Linen.
Mamdani and the DSA are designing a city that will undermine trust in law enforcement and erode public safety.
Mysonne Linen’s past violence is a qualification for leadership. pic.twitter.com/rbOnBnVrpl— Manhattan Mingle (@ManhattanMingle) December 9, 2025
In 1999, just as his debut rap album was being released, Linen was convicted of being part of a group that robbed two cab drivers, according to the New York Daily News. He was paroled in 2006.
The appointment was panned by many.
“It is both disheartening and deeply disturbing that individuals who are convicted felons and have a history of breaking the law are being given the opportunity to help shape the future of New York’s criminal justice system,” Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, said of the appointment.
“The men and women who risk their lives every day to enforce the law have been shut out from this process entirely,” he added.
Retired NYPD Chief of Department John Chell said Linen is “just another appointed adviser that has a questionable past, which is in line with some of his other recent appointees who were anti-police and establishment.”
“The optics and reality here point to a potential erosion of public safety in New York City,” he said.
🚨 NEW YORK, MEET YOUR NEW “CRIMINAL JUSTICE” ADVISER 🚨
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani just appointed a convicted armed robber to help shape NYC’s crime and policing policy.
Meet Mysonne Linen.
Served 7 years for armed robberies of NYC taxi drivers.
Beat one victim with a bottle.… pic.twitter.com/bg2NLHRMjS— Jews Fight Back 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@JewsFightBack) December 8, 2025
“Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani just appointed a convicted armed robber to help shape NYC’s crime and policing policy,” Jews Fight Back posted on X.
“Insane. New York City is being handed over to radicals, extremists and outright terrorists,” the group said. “Watch this space. This is going to get even uglier.”
A recent New York Post editorial noted that extremism runs through Mamdani’s transition team.
“You can pretend the transition team is purely symbolic, and so doesn’t guarantee the new mayor will lead the city into an endless string of disasters — but when the symbolism is so terrible, you can expect the substance to be at least as bad,” the editorial said.
“That Mamdani just took the trouble to tape a video instructing illegal immigrants on how to evade ICE is an equally awful signal. New Yorkers are about to pay a ruinous price for buying this guy’s claims to be focused on ‘affordability,’” the piece added.
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