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Last Updated on: 18th June 2024, 09:30 am
Alvin Bragg is the Manhattan District Attorney who has gained notoriety for indicting former President Donald Trump for falsifying business records in order to bury an alleged sex scandal.
But who is Alvin Bragg?
Here are some facts about Bragg that may surprise you:
1. He Had A Privileged Childhood
Alvin Bragg often speaks about his childhood experiences, emphasizing the challenges he faced growing up in Harlem.
According to him, his upbringing in Harlem uniquely qualifies him to lead criminal justice reforms.
However, Bragg was raised in Harlem but on a particularly safe block known as Strivers Row, characterized by its upper-middle-class brownstones.
From the age of 4, he attended the prestigious Trinity School on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
According to an NYPD detective interviewed by The Daily Mail, Bragg “keeps throwing up Harlem, Harlem, Harlem, but he went to the best schools with a silver spoon in his mouth. When you’re privileged like he is, you don’t go through the troubles that the average kids go through in an urban neighborhood.”
2. His campaign was funded by a George Soros Backed Organization
According to The New York Times, the political arm of Color of Change, a progressive criminal justice group, endorsed Bragg in May 2021.
Color of Change pledged to spend $1 million on campaign efforts supporting Bragg but did not donate directly to his campaign.
Soros contributed $1 million to Color of Change a few days after their endorsement of Bragg.
However, Color of Change did not fully meet its pledge to support Bragg. It eventually spent around $500,000 on his behalf, which accounted for approximately 11 percent of the group’s total spending during the 2021-22 election cycle.
According to The New York Times, a spokesperson for Mr. Soros confirmed that the two individuals, George Soros and Alvin Bragg, had never met, and Mr. Soros had not directly contributed funds to Mr. Bragg’s campaign.
3. His Wife Allegedly “Railed Against Trump” and called him “Racist”
Alvin Bragg is married to Jamila Ponton Bragg, formerly Jamila Marie Ponton. They have two children, according to Patch.com
According to America Theatre, Ponton Bragg “is the founder of JamRock Productions, LLC, a theatre production company committed to works for, about, and by women. After nearly 20 years in the nonprofit industry, she transitioned to theatre producing and began her journey in March 2020 as a co-producer on Blue, a play by Charles Randolph-Wright.”
Former President Trump has not only accused Alvin Bragg of being motivated by political animosity but has also brought Bragg’s wife into the conversation.
Trump posted tweets from RealClearPolitics journalist Paul Sperry, who pointed out that Bragg’s wife, Jamila, had expressed her dislike for the former president on social media before the Manhattan grand jury started hearing evidence.
Sperry’s tweets included the following information: “In March 2022 – BEFORE Manhattan grand jury began hearing evidence — DA Alvin Bragg’s wife Jamila retweeted a report that claimed that her husband ‘has Trump nailed on felonies.’ Jamila Bragg has since locked her Twitter account.”
Another tweet stated, “Anti-Trump DA Alvin Bragg’s wife Jamila Ponton has locked her Twitter page, changing her account status from open to ‘protected.’ For several years, @jpontonbragg has railed against Trump & retweeted posts calling him racist and advocating for his arrest.”
4. He Instituted “Soft On Crime” Policies In New York
According to The Daily Mail, soon after taking the position of Manhattan DA, Bragg instituted lax bail laws, allowing many offenders to cycle in and out of the criminal justice system without facing prosecution.
This, along with the soft-on-crime approach of his office, led to a sense of insecurity among New Yorkers.
Incidents of transit-related crimes surged by over 50 percent during this period, with notable occurrences such as a mass shooting and multiple instances of individuals being pushed onto train tracks.
Additionally, there was significant controversy when a bodega clerk was charged with murder after he defended himself against a robber.
Six police officers were also shot within the first few weeks of Bragg taking office.
Bragg has since walked back some of his more radical crime policies.
5. He Sued Jim Jordan
In April, Bragg filed a lawsuit against Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee. Bragg alleged that Jordan has been attempting to interfere in the prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Jordan had issued subpoenas for testimony and documents related to the investigation. Bragg’s lawsuit seeks to invalidate these subpoenas and prevent any future ones aimed at him or his current or former employees.
Bragg argued that Jordan’s actions were an unconstitutional attack on an active state prosecution and an attempt to intimidate his office.
Jordan has responded by stating that they are seeking congressional oversight regarding the federal funds used in the case against Trump. Jordan’s committee plans to hold a field hearing in New York City featuring individuals described as victims of Bragg’s policies, a move criticized by Bragg’s office as a political stunt.
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