Coucilmember Zhuang gathers $66K in legal defense funds

January 17, 2025 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Council Member Susan Zhuang

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SUNSET PARK & BOROUGHWIDE — COUNCILMEMBER SUSAN ZHUANG of Sunset Park, who stands accused of biting a police officer during a July 17, 2024 protest against a Bensonhurst homeless shelter, has raised over $66,000 to defend herself against criminal charges, according to her most recent Conflict of Interest Board filing.

She is charged with assault and resisting arrest for her alleged attack on NYPD Deputy Chief Frank DiGiacomo. Her next court date is Jan. 27. According to Zhuang, fighting broke out when an elderly woman fell under a police barricade.

Opposition to the homeless shelter has helped flip the neighborhood from a Democratic stronghold to a competitive area for conservatives, with incumbent state Senator Iwen Chu losing to Republican Steve Chan. Democrats outnumber Republicans three-to-one in Chu and Chan’s 17th District.

Local news outlet The City describes Zhuang as a “right-leaning Democrat.” She represents the City Council’s 43rd district, which covers Sunset Park, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend and Borough Park.

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