{"id":356068,"date":"2026-09-24T21:10:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T21:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/356068\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T21:10:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T21:10:28","slug":"luigi-mangione-fangirl-jersey-city-city-aide-may-lose-nyc-press-pass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/356068\/","title":{"rendered":"Luigi Mangione ‘fangirl’: Jersey City city aide may lose NYC press pass"},"content":{"rendered":"

Self-described \u201cMangionista\u201d Abril Rios<\/a>, 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. <\/p>\n

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 \u201crevolutionary act of protest<\/a>\u201d and donned a \u201cFree Luigi\u201d shirt<\/a> in public. <\/p>\n

Rios and the other Mangionistas, Ashley Rojas and Lena Weissbrot, have received criticism<\/a> from NYC politicians, press and the public for advocating in favor of Mangione at hearings, including encouraging jury nullification<\/a>, while wearing official city press credentials. <\/p>\n

Rios works in Jersey City Ward D Councilman Jake Ephros\u2019 office as a media and constituent services aide, Ephros confirmed to NJ.com. There, she supports the councilman\u2019s social media pages and assists with office hours, working exclusively in constituent-facing roles. <\/p>\n

Councilman Ephros told NJ.com he does not see a conflict of interest between Rios\u2019 activism, her access as press to official court proceedings and her work in his office. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t just say I\u2019m a member of the press, or I\u2019m just an activist, or I\u2019m just a media aide,\u201d Rios said. \u201cI\u2019m someone who\u2019s extremely multifaceted, and that\u2019s something I\u2019ve always been proud of. I can\u2019t just define myself as one thing.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAbril 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,\u201d Ephros said in a statement. <\/p>\n

Ephros declined to answer whether or not he agreed with Rios\u2019 stance on Mangione\u2019s actions. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy understanding is her involvement in the Luigi case is around her support for Medicare for All,\u201d Ephros said. <\/p>\n

As an aide to a Jersey City councilman, Rios earns a part-time salary, Ephros confirmed. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Rios wore her press credential during Mangione\u2019s hearings to sit in the rows designated for reporters, she said. <\/p>\n

She first applied for a credential as an organizer with the group \u201cHot Girls for Zohran,\u201d which helped elect New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is also a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member. <\/p>\n

\"UnitedHealthcareAbril 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<\/p>\n

While working for the organizing group, she attended DSA and campaign events and interviewed people, Rios said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI found that I had a better time and a lot \u2026 more access to interview people or speak to people if I had a press badge,\u201d she said. \u201cSo initially I got my press badge for that reason.\u201d <\/p>\n

Rios lists herself as a \u201cInfluencer, Media Aide, & Community Organizer\u201d on LinkedIn<\/a>. She writes about Mangione\u2019s trial on her Substack page<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Critics argue that Rios and the other Mangionistas aren\u2019t legitimate journalists, and Mamdani<\/a> has said that they should not have press credentials. <\/p>\n

The New York City Council recently proposed a bill<\/a> that would allow press credentials to be revoked after an administrative hearing and would \u201cdirect the mayor\u2019s office of media and entertainment to review its rules regarding the issuance, suspension, and revocation of press credentials.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThese fangirls, who are not journalists, are showing up at the trial with press credentials that the city of New York is giving to them,\u201d New York City Council Speaker Menin said in an interview with FOX 5<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Rios told NJ.com<\/a> that she is \u201cvery concerned\u201d about the bill and compared it to Donald Trump banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House grounds. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s just blatant viewpoint discrimination taking place at this time,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u2019s 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\u2019s views or even controversial speech that they share.\u201d <\/p>\n