Mamdani Appoints Mysonne Linen — A Formerly Incarcerated Activist — To Public Safety Transition Team

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has named Mysonne Linen, a 49-year-old leader at the social-justice group Until Freedom and a former recording artist, to his City Hall transition team on the public safety and criminal justice committees as he prepares to take office on Jan. 1, according to reports.

The appointment was announced in a Nov. 26 Instagram post from Until Freedom, which pictured Linen alongside activists Tamika Mallory and Angelo Pinto and praised the group's experience in "gun violence prevention, legislative advocacy, and criminal justice reform." Mamdani, who won November’s election on a progressive platform, is assembling advisers to shape his administration’s early policies.

Background

Past reporting says Linen, a Bronx native who was once signed to Def Jam, was convicted in the late 1990s of two armed robberies of taxi drivers. Prosecutors said Linen participated in attacks on drivers Joseph Exiri (June 8, 1997) and Francisco Monsanto (March 31, 1998); both men testified and identified Linen at trial. He faced a potential maximum sentence of 25 years and ultimately served seven years in prison. Linen has maintained he was falsely accused.

Role And Advocacy

In recent years Linen has built a public profile as a community activist, promoting anti-violence initiatives, crisis intervention and civic engagement. Until Freedom's website describes the organization as focused on community activism, education and rapid response to injustices. The group framed the transition-team selections as recognition of its work on behalf of marginalized communities.

Reaction

The appointment has generated criticism and debate about the role of people with criminal convictions on advisory bodies that influence policing and public-safety policy. The group Jews Fight Back posted on X that Mamdani "just appointed a convicted armed robber to help shape NYC’s crime and policing policy," calling the decision "insane." Supporters and organizers, by contrast, emphasize community-based experience in violence-prevention and criminal-justice reform.

Requests for comment: Fox News Digital reports it has reached out to Mysonne Linen, Until Freedom and Zohran Mamdani’s office for comment.

This appointment highlights broader questions about who is included in shaping public-safety policy — balancing lived experience and community expertise against concerns about past criminal convictions.