(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has achieved the milestone of being the first prosecutor in American history to file criminal charges against a former president. However, he has notably avoided making media appearances and refrained from offering public commentary on the case.
Why the silence, many Americans may wonder? A Monday report by Politico suggests that Bragg, lacking media acumen, may be avoiding scrutiny—or praise—for his decision to hijack the judicial system to bring what many have criticized as dubious and “flawed” charges against former President Donald Trump.
During an interview with Rev. Al Sharpton, Bragg reportedly cautioned against questions concerning the case stemming from Trump’s alleged involvement in the payments made by convicted felon and serial perjurer Michael Cohen to adult actress Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
“I only talk about that matter in court filings and in the court. That’s what we do,” Bragg stated shortly after the meeting with Sharpton. He later implied that his media silence is driven by a so-called concern for maintaining the perception of an independent judiciary, according to Politico.
“I’ve been an officer of the court going on more than 20 years, and the way we comport ourselves is important,” Bragg claimed, as reported by the outlet. “In the courtroom first and foremost, [but] obviously, there’s a public dimension. So we are guided by the rules of the court and fair play.”
Despite Bragg’s assertions, he campaigned for Manhattan district attorney with a pledge to prosecute Trump. “If elected, I will indict Donald J. Trump,” Bragg proclaimed at the time. During an 2021 interview on Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning, Bragg, in reference to Trump, asserted, “I believe he must be held accountable.”
Bragg has emerged as a central figure in the criminal proceedings against Trump, being the first to indict him over the hush money payments. The case lay dormant for years amid debates over the legal basis of the alleged offenses.
Bragg’s predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr., opted against prosecuting Trump and announced his retirement in 2021, paving the way for Bragg to bring forth the criminal charges years after the alleged crime occurred.
Former federal prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, whom Vance enlisted to probe the matter, described the hush money investigation as a “zombie case—having oscillated between viability and obscurity,” as reported by the New York Times.
