Threats Against Mamdani Lead to Hate Crime Charges

A Texas man was charged in New York with making anti-Muslim death threats against Zohran Mamdani, with prosecutors saying the man’s violent rhetoric was a crime while his attorney said it was protected speech.

Jeremy Fistel, 44, was arraigned in Queens state court on Thursday after his extradition from Texas. He was charged with making “terroristic threats” in voicemails and emails to Mamdani throughout the summer and released after posting $30,000 bail.

The state felony charges — classified as hate crimes — come at a tense time in US politics in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and amid a ...