Zellnor Myrie: Controversies and Criticism
Zellnor Myrie's political career has involved several notable points of public scrutiny and criticism, though he has generally maintained a reputation as a legislator without major personal scandal. The most prominent controversies center on his experience at the George Floyd protests, criticism of his criminal justice positions, and scrutiny related to his wife's professional history.
Pepper Spray Incident at the George Floyd Protest (2020)
The most widely covered episode involving Myrie occurred on May 29, 2020, when he and then-Assembly Member Diana Richardson were pepper-sprayed and detained by NYPD officers while attending a George Floyd protest outside Barclays Center in Brooklyn . Myrie had texted a police official in advance to inform him he would be present and wore a neon-colored t-shirt with his title printed on the back to identify himself . Despite these precautions, officers sprayed him with pepper spray, shoved Richardson with a bicycle frame, and detained Myrie in zip-tie handcuffs . He was released after a patrol chief recognized him .
The incident became a high-profile example of police conduct during the 2020 protests. Myrie and Richardson filed a federal lawsuit against the NYPD, which was settled in 2023 for $415,000, with the city admitting no wrongdoing . More than 90 percent of the settlement went to attorneys' fees .
The Civilian Complaint Review Board substantiated misconduct complaints against officers involved and brought charges against Officer Michael Kovalik for abuse of authority . However, an NYPD administrative judge cleared Kovalik of all charges in January 2023, a decision Myrie sharply criticized as evidence of a broken accountability system . He emphasized that the system was structurally flawed, noting that police disciplinary hearings are conducted before judges on the NYPD payroll, a conflict of interest he has proposed legislation to address .
Criticism of Criminal Justice Positions
As a supporter of New York's 2019 bail reform law and the Clean Slate Act, Myrie has faced criticism from Republican lawmakers, some law enforcement organizations, and conservative commentators who have argued that these policies compromise public safety . Critics of the Clean Slate Act contended that sealing criminal records could undermine transparency and community safety . Myrie has responded by pointing to the law's exclusions for serious offenses, its provisions for continued law enforcement access to sealed records, and research suggesting that individuals who benefit from record sealing are less likely than the general public to commit criminal offenses .
His defense of bail reform has occasionally placed him at odds with constituents who have expressed concerns about rising crime. In a 2024 panel, Myrie acknowledged that he has had difficult and sometimes fraught conversations with constituents who disagree with his position, but maintained that his community understands his seriousness about both reform and safety .
Scrutiny Related to Diana Richardson
Myrie's marriage to former Assembly Member Diana Richardson has drawn attention in part because of Richardson's own controversial political history. Richardson was fired from her role as Deputy Brooklyn Borough President in October 2022 after allegations of creating a toxic work environment, including reports of nearly getting into a physical altercation with another office official . In 2016, Richardson was arrested and charged with second-degree assault after reportedly striking her 12-year-old son with a broomstick, though the felony charges were later dropped . These incidents have been referenced in coverage of Myrie's political profile, though they pertain to Richardson rather than to Myrie directly.
Low Profile and Name Recognition Challenges
Throughout his 2025 mayoral campaign, Myrie faced persistent criticism not for wrongdoing but for insufficient name recognition outside of his Brooklyn district . Polling consistently showed him in the low single digits among likely Democratic voters, with one Race to the White House poll placing him at just one percent . Political observers noted that while Myrie's legislative record was strong, converting Albany accomplishments into citywide political support proved challenging in a crowded field that included higher-profile candidates such as Andrew Cuomo, Brad Lander, and Zohran Mamdani .
Baseball State Sport Vote
In a lighter episode, Myrie was one of only two State Senators to vote against a 2021 bill designating baseball as the official state sport of New York . The vote drew minor attention as an unusual dissent on an otherwise noncontroversial piece of legislation.