Self-described “Mangionista” Abril Rios, who has garnered significant public attention for her activism supporting Luigi Mangione, is also a part-time communications and outreach aide for a Jersey City councilman.
Rios has appeared repeatedly outside of court hearings to support Mangione, who pleaded guilty this summer to stalking and killing former United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. She has referred to the murder as a “revolutionary act of protest” and donned a “Free Luigi” shirt in public.
Rios and the other Mangionistas, Ashley Rojas and Lena Weissbrot, have received criticism from NYC politicians, press and the public for advocating in favor of Mangione at hearings, including encouraging jury nullification, while wearing official city press credentials.
Rios works in Jersey City Ward D Councilman Jake Ephros’ office as a media and constituent services aide, Ephros confirmed to NJ.com. There, she supports the councilman’s social media pages and assists with office hours, working exclusively in constituent-facing roles.
Councilman Ephros told NJ.com he does not see a conflict of interest between Rios’ activism, her access as press to official court proceedings and her work in his office.
“I can’t just say I’m a member of the press, or I’m just an activist, or I’m just a media aide,” Rios said. “I’m someone who’s extremely multifaceted, and that’s something I’ve always been proud of. I can’t just define myself as one thing.”
“Abril is a communications professional with valuable experiences who contributes a lot to the daily works of our office. As a freelance press, she is mainly active in the coverage of a single case in New York City, which does not conflict with nor impact the important work she performs for us in Jersey City,” Ephros said in a statement.
Ephros declined to answer whether or not he agreed with Rios’ stance on Mangione’s actions.
“My understanding is her involvement in the Luigi case is around her support for Medicare for All,” Ephros said.
As an aide to a Jersey City councilman, Rios earns a part-time salary, Ephros confirmed.
Ephros is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, which has supported universal healthcare proposals such as Medicare for All. Rios is also a member of the organization, specifically the Hudson County chapter of the socialist group.
Rios wore her press credential during Mangione’s hearings to sit in the rows designated for reporters, she said.
She first applied for a credential as an organizer with the group “Hot Girls for Zohran,” which helped elect New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is also a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member.
Abril Rios (left) and Lena Natero Weissbrot (right) exit the hearing room after it was announced that Luigi Mangione would not be appearing that day in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis
While working for the organizing group, she attended DSA and campaign events and interviewed people, Rios said.
“I found that I had a better time and a lot … more access to interview people or speak to people if I had a press badge,” she said. “So initially I got my press badge for that reason.”
Rios lists herself as a “Influencer, Media Aide, & Community Organizer” on LinkedIn. She writes about Mangione’s trial on her Substack page.
Critics argue that Rios and the other Mangionistas aren’t legitimate journalists, and Mamdani has said that they should not have press credentials.
The New York City Council recently proposed a bill that would allow press credentials to be revoked after an administrative hearing and would “direct the mayor’s office of media and entertainment to review its rules regarding the issuance, suspension, and revocation of press credentials.”
“These fangirls, who are not journalists, are showing up at the trial with press credentials that the city of New York is giving to them,” New York City Council Speaker Menin said in an interview with FOX 5.
Rios told NJ.com that she is “very concerned” about the bill and compared it to Donald Trump banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House grounds.
“I think there’s just blatant viewpoint discrimination taking place at this time,” she said. “I think it’s only bolstering authoritarianism. No matter what someone thinks about me personally, I think we should be really careful about creating systems where access for the press is restricted based off of someone’s views or even controversial speech that they share.”