Brooklyn Democrat, Susan Zhuang, has come under fire for chomping on a NYPD officer’s arm during a homeless shelter protest and subsequently facing assault and resisting arrest charges. To help cover her legal expenses, she has established a legal defense trust with the city Conflicts of Interest Board, allowing donations similar to political campaigns. This tactic was used by Mayor Eric Adams last year for his federal investigations. Critics argue that Zhuang is raising money to defend herself despite being caught on camera biting an officer’s arm.
Zhuang’s defense fund has received support from protesters connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with hundreds rallying in her favor and contact information for CCP-linked nonprofit, Asian American Community Empowerment, listed on a July 28 march event flier. Despite Zhuang’s attempts to distance herself from the group and its organizers, WeChat messages reveal her advising protesters on how to act at the demonstration and which signs to carry.
Zhuang denies that Chan accompanied her on a recent family trip to China, and Aiming Feng, one of the three trustees for Zhuang’s defense fund, also insists that the trip was purely family-oriented. In response to this situation, an online petition has been launched calling for Mayor Adams, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, and Councilwoman Sandra Ung to censure Zhuang.
