The House Judiciary Committee plans to hold a field hearing on April 17 in New York City to examine how Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s policies have led to an increase in violent crime.
“We’ll be hosting this hearing next week from NYC. We’ll be hearing from victims who are suffering under DA Bragg’s pro-crime policies. If Bragg can spend resources indicting President [Donald] Trump, he should be able to address the soaring crime in NYC,” committee member Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona tweeted.
We’ll be hosting this hearing next week from NYC.
We’ll be hearing from victims who are suffering under DA Bragg’s pro-crime policies.
If Bragg can spend resources indicting President Trump, he should be able to address the soaring crime in NYC. https://t.co/S2IegwdPT1
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) April 10, 2023
The New York Post reported that the field hearing, titled “Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan,” will be held at the “Jacob Javits Federal Building just blocks from Bragg’s Lower Manhattan office and the courthouse where Trump, 76, was arraigned on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records last week.”
A source told the Post that Bragg himself might be among the witnesses invited to testify at the hearing.
The DA’s judgment has been called into question following his decision to charge former President Donald Trump, reportedly over hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal before the 2016 election.
Multiple legal experts have described Bragg’s case as weak and clearly politically motivated.
Bragg told reporters after last week’s hearing that the case rests on Trump falsifying business records with the intent to conceal other crimes, which is a felony in New York.
Should Alvin Bragg be investigated?
Yes: 100% (2351 Votes)
No: 0% (7 Votes)
However, the indictment does not list the other crimes.
In his remarks, Bragg cited a $130,000 payment then-Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election, but nondisclosure agreements are not illegal. Daniels has alleged that she and Trump had a sexual encounter in 2006.
The DA indicated the payment that Cohen made and that allegedly was later reimbursed by the Trump Organization exceeded the federal campaign contribution limit and was made to “promote a candidacy by unlawful means” based on New York state law.
But the $130,000 didn’t go to Trump’s campaign, and the then-Republican presidential candidate could have had other reasons he didn’t want Daniels’ allegation made public besides the 2016 race.
Federal prosecutors and the Federal Election Commission have already reviewed the payments and declined to charge Trump.
As House Republicans stated, crime is up (by 22 percent) in New York City under Bragg, who took office in January 2022.
“Alvin Bragg’s radical pro-crime, anti-victim policies have led to an increase in violent crime in New York City,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan tweeted Monday.
Alvin Bragg’s radical pro-crime, anti-victim policies have led to an increase in violent crime in New York City.
Next week, the Judiciary Committee will examine these policies during a field hearing in Manhattan.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) April 10, 2023
Bragg’s office only had a 51 percent conviction rate in felony cases, down from 68 percent in 2019 under then-Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr.
Further, Bragg’s prosecutors downgraded felony charges to misdemeanors 52 percent of the time versus 39 percent in 2019.
The Post reported that Bragg has refused to comply with document requests from three House committees relating to the Trump case, including requests for communications his office has had with the Department of Justice.
