Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein Urges Attorney General Letitia James to Probe NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Actions

New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein penned a letter to State Attorney General Letitia James urging her to review recent actions taken by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, specifically his efforts to explore ordering local law enforcement agencies to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu during a potential visit to New York City.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Mayor Mamdani stated that the Prime Minister of Israel is “a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court” and that his administration is “in active conversation” with the city’s law department regarding the possibility of arresting Netanyahu.

In the letter, Assemblyman Eichenstein argues that New York State’s Criminal Procedure Law prohibits a mayor from directly ordering a law enforcement agency to arrest a specific individual and that a public official cannot attempt to leverage his or her authority to direct law enforcement actions against an individual based on personal, political, or ideological principles. If a public servant knowingly misuses his position with the intent to obtain a benefit or deprive another person of a benefit , that is a violation of New York Penal Law § 195.00 and constitutes official misconduct.

“Therefore, I urge the Attorney General’s office to review the circumstances and the actions made by the Mayor to determine whether there has been any violation of New York laws,” said Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein. “It is imperative that we preserve the independence and integrity of law enforcement in New York State. No individual should undermine that independence for personal or political gain.”