The New York City Council has introduced a bill to streamline the revocation of official press passes from individuals who misuse them for non-journalistic purposes. The legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Chris Banks and co-sponsored by Carmen De La Rosa and Inna Vernikov, follows controversy surrounding three supporters of Luigi Mangione—accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024—who were photographed outside a courthouse in May displaying city-issued press credentials.
Key developments
The bill, introduced Thursday, would grant the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) clearer authority to revoke press passes if credentials are used improperly. City Council Speaker Julie Menin cited the case of the Mangione supporters as a primary reason for the reform, stating that non-journalists had exploited city-issued passes to gain access to high-profile legal proceedings.
Background on the incident
In May, three individuals—identified as Ashley Rojas, Abril Rios, and Lena Weissbrot—were photographed by the New York Post outside New York State Supreme Court during one of Mangione’s hearings. The trio displayed press passes issued by the City of New York, drawing widespread attention. During an interview with the Post, Rojas was recorded saying, ‘F--- Brian Thompson. F--- his mom,’ while Weissbrot claimed Thompson was ‘responsible for more deaths than Usama bin Laden.’
Official responses
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani later stated that the three individuals should not have received press passes, though no public explanation has been provided regarding how their credentials were initially approved. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has not commented on the matter beyond noting that false claims about the Mangione trial’s media plan were spread by the defense team.
Policy implications
The proposed legislation would establish a more transparent process for issuing and revoking press passes, with supporters arguing it is necessary to prevent abuse of public resources. Critics have not yet publicly responded to the bill, which is still in its early stages. If enacted, the law would apply to all holders of city-issued press credentials, not just those involved in the Mangione case.