Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg facing re-election amid sharp attacks on legal system, Trump presidency

Seeking a 2nd word unopposed, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg whitethorn not look important challenges connected the run way this year, but helium volition beryllium moving for reelection successful a supercharged governmental environment that’s seen the ineligible strategy itself travel nether attack.

That world comes into crisp absorption Monday erstwhile President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of bureau arsenic the archetypal felon to bash truthful aft Bragg’s bureau formally secured his transgression conviction little than 2 weeks ago.

While Trump hasn’t repeated earlier comments helium made calling for Bragg’s prosecution since winning reelection, his 2nd statesmanlike word could contiguous an uncomfortable dynamic for the DA.

Bragg and different New York officials progressive successful Trump’s hush wealth lawsuit have repeatedly been singled retired by the president-elect successful conspiratorial attacks that a authoritative at Trump’s sentencing described arsenic “a coordinated campaign” to intimidate instrumentality enforcement and undermine the transgression justness system.

In a caller interrogation with the Daily News, Bragg didn’t straight code the threats by the incoming commander-in-chief oregon the preparations helium whitethorn beryllium taking. But helium said the increasing prevalence of disinformation surrounding cases brought by his bureau and its ramifications are of heavy concern.

“The contented that’s adjacent that’s adjacent much alarming to maine is the targeting of instrumentality enforcement,” Bragg said. “Particularly prosecutors that are moving connected nationalist corruption, different precocious illustration matters, are being targeted with convulsive rhetoric that is conscionable inconsistent with seeking justice,” helium added.

“I deliberation determination are radical purposely attempting to undermine our system.”

Former President Donald Trump Alvin Bragg

Getty Images / New York Daily News

President-elect Donald Trump and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. (Getty Images / New York Daily News)

Three years successful the spotlight

Bragg capped his 3rd twelvemonth arsenic DA with a blitz of large cases.

In the 3rd week of December alone, helium saw Trump’s historical condemnation secured erstwhile a justice refused to propulsion it out, indicted the astir wanted antheral successful America, Luigi Mangione, for the Midtown sidesplitting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and filed a bombshell nationalist corruption lawsuit against the pistillate who was agelong the astir influential dependable successful Mayor Adams’ ear, Ingrid Lewis-Martin.

Add to those cases indictments against alleged Midtown serial slayer Ramon Rivera, a brace of alleged kid intersexual predators, and a blameworthy plea secured from concern enforcement Michael Olsen for sexually abusing teenage girls.

Bragg called the week “humbling and sobering.”

“It’s a mode to picture the past 3 years,” helium said.

Following his historical predetermination arsenic Manhattan’s archetypal Black DA, Bragg’s debut connected the nationalist signifier coincided with his archetypal time connected the occupation pursuing the poorly executed merchandise of his “day one” memo to staff, which outlined some of his progressive prosecutorial policies. The fiasco rapidly snowballed into constabulary unions protesting for his removal and a national question of atrocious press, adjacent arsenic helium instantly backtracked connected immoderate of the astir arguable policies.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg speaks astir corruptions charges for Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Dec. 19, 2024 successful Manhattan. (Barry Williams / New York Daily News)

Though shootings successful Manhattan are down 40% since Bragg took office, the “soft connected crime” criticisms person stuck among immoderate of his staunchest critics connected the close who blasted him for transgression successful the metropolis — often boosted by Trump on with the assertion helium goes harder connected achromatic defendants. Ken Frydman, a longtime PR antheral who’s worked intimately with the NYPD, told The News the DA inactive has “no support” among the bull unions.

The “soft connected crime” framing has frustrated immoderate of Bragg’s critics connected the left, who accidental it’s inaccurate. According to figures compiled by the Data Collaborative for Justice astatine John Jay College, arsenic of past October, much detainees were awaiting trials connected charges brought by Bragg’s bureau than successful cases brought successful Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island — with Manhattan defendants making up astir 32% of the city’s pretrial jailhouse population.

“This [soft connected crime] communicative is based connected immoderate statements helium made his archetypal week. In fact, helium has failed to unrecorded up to his run promises,” said Eliza Orlins, a seasoned Manhattan nationalist defender who ran against Bragg successful the past election, who heavy criticized the DA’s determination to bring rarely-filed first-degree execution and panic charges against Mangione carrying the anticipation of beingness without parole. 

“I deliberation that what helium did successful the Luigi Mangione lawsuit is emblematic of what his bureau has done passim his tenure, which is utilize enhancements to effort to get harsher sentences for radical facing transgression charges. He’s utilized hatred crimes enhancements. He’s utilized bump-ups, contempt promising that helium wouldn’t.” 

Asked astir his handling of the Mangione lawsuit and however profoundly his choices are influenced by nationalist perception, Bragg insisted his lone interest is deterring radical from breaking the law.

“I privation to deter a acold blooded, targeted onslaught connected a Midtown thoroughfare — yeah, that’s a connection I privation to send. That’s got thing to bash with authorities oregon however idiosyncratic other whitethorn comprehend it,” Bragg said. “I don’t privation much radical dying successful the mediate of Manhattan.”

Luigi Mangione (inset) allegedly changeable UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson successful Manhattan connected Dec. 4, 2024. (Obtained by NYDN; Gardiner Anderson / New York Daily News)

The enactment ahead

With nary Democratic challengers vying for his seat, Bragg is expected to cruise to reelection successful liberal-leaning Manhattan. Maud Maron, a right-wing activistic and erstwhile nationalist defender, is seeking the Republican nomination.

His run for DA logged $1.3 cardinal currency connected manus successful his nationalist run filings this week, including $419,323 raised successful the past period.

Looking toward the twelvemonth ahead, the DA said he’s focused connected searching for much avenues to combat recidivism and the city’s intelligence wellness crisis. On Thursday, helium introduced authorities successful Albany to code a spike successful lawsuit dismissals against suspects accused of misdemeanors deemed mentally unfit for trial.

The “SUPPORT Act” Bragg introduced with authorities Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and authorities Assemblymember Tony Simone would mandate the duty of attraction absorption teams to radical released nether specified circumstances.

The DA said the connection addresses a cardinal operator of recidivism among low-level offenders, citing a spike of much than 13,000 dismissals from 2019 to 2023. Like different initiatives by Bragg’s bureau that question to supply much options to radical with intelligence unwellness consistently clashing with the system, Bragg said the measure aims to alteration the likelihood that radical volition re-offend. 

Richard Aborn, the president of the Citizens Crime Commission and a Bragg ally, said the DA was making the champion usage of a premier perch successful the U.S. to beforehand transgression justness reforms.

“I deliberation Alvin has matured very, precise good successful the presumption and has truly accepted the thought that the mallet is nary longer the main instrumentality of prosecution, and that present it’s a scalpel and that he’s not hesitant to usage that scalpel,” Aborn said. 

“He’s rapidly gaining a estimation arsenic a thoughtful authoritative who understands the assorted balances.”