New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced intense heckling from voters outside Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, this week. The confrontation occurred shortly after the U.S. Justice Department released new Jeffrey Epstein-related records that mentioned his mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair.
Voter Outrage at Mayor's Residence
Videos circulating online show NYC residents gathered outside Mamdani's home, using a megaphone to express their anger. Protesters could be heard repeatedly yelling "shame" while directly addressing the mayor about his mother's connection to the Epstein case.
"That's right, we know about your mom. Now listen. We was with you, Zohran. We voted for you, Zohran. We advocated for you, Zohran," one protester shouted through the megaphone.
"You ain't getting nothing, get up in here and you lie to us. You lied, Zohran. Shame, Zohran!" they added, expressing deep disappointment with the mayor they had previously supported.
Epstein Records Reveal Nair's Connection
The attention comes after Nair's name appeared in an email connected to a 2009 social event hosted at the townhouse of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. According to the email, Nair attended an "after party" for a film screening along with high-profile figures including former President Bill Clinton and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
An email dated October 21, 2009, sent by American publicist Peggy Siegal, read: "Just left Ghislaine's townhouse... after party for film. Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there... Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nair...etc. Film received tepid reaction although women like it much more... Hillary Swank and Gere at stupid party in Bloomingdales cheap sportwear department... very weird."
The email continued: "Studio went for free party from store and windows for a month... Going to be in Wall Street 2 tomorrow.... more to come. xoxo Peg."
While the email does not name the film specifically, it appears to refer to Nair's 2009 movie Amelia, based on the life of aviator Amelia Earhart and starring Hillary Swank and Richard Gere.
Massive Document Release
On Friday, the Department of Justice published more than three million additional pages of Epstein-related records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025.
This latest release includes:
- Over 2,000 videos
- Approximately 180,000 images
- Bringing total pages made public to nearly 3.5 million
The newly released records were collected from multiple sources, including:
- Florida and New York cases involving Epstein
- The New York case against Maxwell
- Investigations into Epstein's death
- A Florida case involving a former Epstein butler
- Multiple FBI investigations
- An Office of Inspector General investigation into Epstein's death
Political Context and Timing
The protest against Mayor Mamdani comes during a politically sensitive period, coinciding with reactions to Budget 2026. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has slammed the Centre's budget as having "nothing for common man" and called it a "Humpty Dumpty" budget.
Meanwhile, citizens are examining Budget 2026-27 details including:
- What gets cheaper and what gets costlier
- Latest income tax slabs for FY 2026-27
- Income tax rates under new and old tax regimes
Mamdani's Political Journey
Zohran Mamdani assumed office as New York City's mayor on January 1 after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the mayoral election. At 34 years old, Mamdani becomes the city's youngest mayor and its first Muslim mayor.
He succeeds Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped his re-election bid in September but remained on the ballot. Mamdani's administration now faces dual challenges: addressing voter concerns about his family's Epstein connections while navigating the political landscape during budget season.
The convergence of these events - the Epstein document release, voter protests at Gracie Mansion, and national budget discussions - creates a complex political environment for the young mayor as he navigates his first year in office.
