A few weeks ago, we filled you in on Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor trying to get former President Donald Trump indicted on election tampering charges. Well, it wasn't Willis who got there first, it turns out, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who led the probe that led to yesterday’s stunning indictment.
But who is Alvin Bragg, who is suddenly the target of GOP attacks as well as swipes from Trump himself, who said Bragg was "hand-picked and funded by George Soros?"
Related: Trump’s New Attorney is a Legendary Hip-Hop Lawyer Who Hates the Former President
Bragg, 49, issued a response to these criticisms today with a letter from his legal counsel to Republican lawmakers blasting the party for "baseless and inflammatory" accusations. The letter says Trump is entitled to defend himself in court, but, "What neither Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State… we urge you to refrain from these inflammatory accusations, withdraw your demand for information, and let the criminal justice process proceed without unlawful political interference."
The Washington Post puts Bragg's career into context with a piece about the Harvard-educated DA's history and how he became the center of a criminal investigation and political bombshell. Bragg, who was a federal prosecutor in the New York Attorney General's office, became Manhattan's first Black district attorney in November 2021 after running as a Democrat on a platform of reducing gun violence, protecting survivors of domestic abuse, and focusing less on minor crimes like pot possession and subway turnstile hopping.
As he entered office, Bragg continued an investigation that had already started looking into claims that Trump paid hush money through his lawyer Michael Cohen to porn actress Stormy Daniels, with whom he was alleged to have had a sexual relationship. The charges have not been officially reported, but that appears to be what the indictment is all about: breaking campaign finance laws and falsifying records.
Bragg previously handled the indictment of Steve Bannon on charges of money laundering and fraud and he helped bring $1.6 million in fines against the Trump Organization and Trump Payroll Corp. on tax fraud.
The DA grew up in Harlem and has spoken about being exposed to police brutality and violence at a young age. It’s good to see he’s not letting Republican officials bully him.
More From LEVEL:
Comments
Leave a comment