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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has responded to former US president Donald Trump's recent call for protest.
As per Politico, Bragg reportedly issued a memo to his staff following Trump's message for his followers, released on Saturday, March 18, 2023, asking them to protect the nation. Bragg's directive to his staff talked about safety being the foremost priority while being intolerant of intimidation attempts against his office. Here's what the memo read:
"Please know that your safety is our top priority. We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York. Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place, so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment."
Alvin Bragg's memo did not mention Trump but addressed ongoing investigations. The Manhattan DA claimed that his office will "continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate."
For those unaware, the investigations involving Donald Trump are still underway over the alleged hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The Manhattan District Attorney is expected to file criminal charges against the former president in the same case soon.
Alvin Bragg has previously overseen lawsuits against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Harvey Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, and more
This is not the first time Alvin Bragg, Manhattan's first-ever Black District Attorney, has been involved in a high-profile case. Before becoming the DA for New York County, Bragg was appointed Chief Deputy Attorney General of New York in 2017 by the then-serving AG, Eric Schneiderman.
Alvin Bragg also ran the criminal justice and social justice divisions as Chief Deputy Attorney General of NY. During his tenure, he oversaw lawsuits related to the likes of Harvey Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, and the Donald J. Trump Foundation, among others brought by the state.
However, Bragg vacated his position in December 2018 and later became a Democrat candidate for New York County DA in June 2021. In November 2021, Bragg defeated the Republican candidate to become the first African-American and person of color to be elected as DA for Manhattan.
After being sworn in as Manhattan DA, Bragg's notable cases involved the prosecutions of Jose Alba and Steve Bannon. He dropped the murder charges against the NYC bodega worker after a severe backlash in July 2022.
At the same time, Bannon, a former Trump advisor whom the then-president pardoned, was charged with the Contempt of Congress in a case related to the Capitol siege on January 6, 2021.
Currently, Alvin Bragg is focused on Donald Trump's prosecution in the hush money-related case. There have been several controversies involving the investigations, including the resignation of two persecutors after they reportedly had "doubts" regarding Bragg moving forward with a case against Trump.
The 45th president of the US recently called the Manhattan DA's office "corrupt," while also launching a barrage of allegations. Trump expects to be arrested by Tuesday and has called for his supporters to protest against the recent developments and "save the nation."
