Alvin Bragg, Manhattan’s District Attorney, has returned to the spotlight this week after coming under scathing scrutiny from a GOP-led House hearing for his actions.
A case brought by Bragg that led to the indictment of former President Trump has dominated headlines in recent weeks, and now he’s announced another unexpected arrest. Bragg and his office have suddenly decided to arrest of the last suspect believed to be involved in a string of assaults and robberies that killed two men, Gothamist reported.
“Their motive — we allege — was simple: to make money,” Bragg said at a news conference at NYPD headquarters. “They approached people leaving bars and nightclubs late at night, engaged them in conversation, and offered them illicit and dangerous substances.”
“I cannot imagine how painful it is for the families of Mr. Ramirez and Mr. Umberger,” Bragg said. “My thoughts continue to be with them. It’s my sincere hope that today will bring some solace in the fact that our investigation has now led to these charges.”
Perhaps there is no coincidence in the timing of this arrest.
A House Republican hearing took place in the area on Monday to hear testimony from witnesses on the horrific effects the district attorney’s soft-on-crime policies have had on these victims and their families personally, as well as the city as a whole.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) led the charge against Bragg in that hearing, which took place less than a week after Bragg dropped a lawsuit and restraining order on Jordan that alleged he was interfering with the local prosecution by investigating Bragg’s indictment of Trump and subpoena witness.
The Ohio Republican attacked Bragg for his “pro-crime, anti-victim policies” in New York during an interview on Fox News. Additionally, Jordan accused the DA of overstepping his authority in filing a lawsuit against him, accusing him of indicting Trump for “no crime!”
Jordan was not intimidated by Bragg’s seemingly retaliatory lawsuit, insisting that this latest baseless legal action would not deter his investigation of Bragg and his alleged misuse of federal funds applied to fulfilling his campaign promise to “get Tump.”
In Bragg’s lawsuit filed on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, Bragg demanded Jordan stop interfering with the local prosecution, in which his office was conducting. Mike Davis of The Federalist Society reported that a judge would not even issue a temporary restraining order as soon as he filed his lawsuit.
“Soros-funded Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s (frivolous) lawsuit against House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan is already off to a bad start for Bragg: The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York declined to even enter a temporary restraining order,” he wrote, posting a screen grab of the court document.
“Summary of Soros-funded Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s (frivolous) legal argument: Congress is interfering in Bragg’s misuse of federal funds and misuse of federal law to politically interfere in the next presidential election,” he added.
As a result of Trump’s grand jury indictment, Bragg has faced widespread criticism in recent weeks.
Indicting Trump on fraud charges relating to Stormy Daniels, the Manhattan grand jury alleged that Trump falsified 34 business records. At his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to all 34 of those charges.
Immediately following Trump’s arraignment in Manhattan, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed frustration with Bragg and vowed Congress would take action to hold the DA accountable.
“Alvin Bragg is attempting to interfere in our democratic process by invoking federal law to bring politicized charges against President Trump, admittedly using federal funds, while at the same time arguing that the peoples’ representatives in Congress lack jurisdiction to investigate this farce. Not so. Bragg’s weaponization of the federal justice process will be held accountable by Congress,” McCarthy tweeted.
Trump was also supported by a number of other prominent Republicans.
Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley said: “Tonight’s indictment of Donald Trump isn’t about the law. It’s about power. Raw power. It’s the Democrat Party telling the nation they will stop at nothing to control the outcome of the next presidential election. It is an assault on our democracy, pure and simple.”
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and 2024 GOP presidential candidate, tweeted: “From everything I have seen from this New York district attorney is that this would be something he’d be doing for political points. I think what we know is, when you get into political prosecutions like this, it’s more about revenge than it is about justice.”
