Alvin Bragg | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bragg in 2023 | |
| 37thDistrict Attorney of New York County | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Cyrus Vance Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. (1973-10-21)October 21, 1973 (age 51) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA,JD) |
Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. (born October 21, 1973) is an American politician and lawyer who serves as theNew York County District Attorney, coveringManhattan. In2021, he became the firstAfrican American elected to that office.[1] Bragg had previously served as Chief DeputyAttorney General of New York and as an AssistantUnited States Attorney in theSouthern District of New York. In 2024, he became the first and only district attorney to secure aconviction of a former United States president.
Bragg was born in New York City on October 21, 1973. He hails fromHarlem and grew up onStriver's Row.[2] In an interview withThe American Prospect, Bragg said that he had been "deeply affected by the criminal justice system – most directly through three gunpoint stops by theNYPD".[3] He graduated from theTrinity School[4] before attendingHarvard College.
He graduated with aBachelor of Arts,cum laude, in 1995 with a major in government.[2][5] In 1999, he earned aJuris Doctor fromHarvard Law School, where he was an editor of theHarvard Civil Rights–Civil Liberties Law Review.[4][5][6]
After graduating from law school, Bragg spent a year as alaw clerk for judgeRobert P. Patterson Jr. of theU.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He then joined the law firm Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello as anassociate, where his work focused on white collar fraud and civil rights issues. In 2003, he joined the office of theAttorney General of New York underEliot Spitzer before becoming the chief of litigation and investigations for theNew York City Council. In 2009, Bragg left the city council to serve as assistantUnited States Attorney in theSouthern District of New York.[7]
In 2017,Eric Schneiderman, then serving as attorney general, appointed Bragg Chief Deputy Attorney General of New York.[8] Bragg ran the criminal justice and social justice divisions, overseeing lawsuits brought by the state against theDonald J. Trump Foundation,Harvey Weinstein andThe Weinstein Company, and the addition of acitizenship question on the2020 United States census.
He left the position in December 2018[9] and became a professor at theNew York Law School, where he was co-director of the Racial Justice Project.[7] Bragg is a member of the board of directors forThe Legal Aid Society. He has represented the families ofRamarley Graham andEric Garner in civil litigation against New York City.[10]
In June 2019, Bragg started his candidacy for the 2021 Democratic Party nomination forNew York County District Attorney, then held byCyrus Vance Jr., who did not run for reelection.[9][11] Bragg ran as a supporter ofcriminal justice reform measures, and his campaign was characterized as one of the "campaigns of progressive prosecutors across the country".[12]
His candidacy received the endorsement ofThe New York Times.[13] Following the June 22, 2021 Democratic primary, Bragg led in the reported vote count andTali Farhadian Weinstein conceded the primary to Bragg on July 2.[14] On November 2, 2021, Bragg defeated Republican Thomas Kenniff in the general election, becoming the first African-American to be elected New York County District Attorney.[1]
Bragg was sworn into office on January 1, 2022.[15]
On January 4, 2022, after three days in office, he announced that his office would no longer prosecute low-level offenses such asfare evasion, resisting arrest,prostitution, andcannabis-related misdemeanors unless accompanied by afelony charge. He also decided to seek lesser charges for burglaries and store robberies where the offender "displays a dangerous instrument but does not create a genuine risk of physical harm".[16] On January 20, Bragg disputed what he described was a "legalistic" interpretation of his prosecution policy memo and indicated that he supported azero tolerance policy for violent crimes.[17]
On February 23, 2022,Carey R. Dunne andMark F. Pomerantz, the lead prosecutors in the New York County District Attorney's investigation intoDonald Trump and his businesses, resigned abruptly after Bragg "indicated to them that he had doubts about moving forward with a case against Mr. Trump".[18] In his letter of resignation, Pomerantz wrote that the "team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes,[19] includingfalsifying business records, and that it was "a grave failure of justice"[19] not to pursue criminal charges.[20]
The New York Times reported that Bragg "balked at pursuing an indictment against Mr. Trump" and lacked confidence proving in court that Trump "knowingly falsified the value of his assets on annual financial statements".[20]The Washington Post noted that Bragg was slow to meet with Dunne and Pomerantz after taking office and when they finally met to discuss the case, a source in the D.A.'s Office commented that Bragg seemed distracted and disengaged, continually checking his cell phone (allegations Bragg's spokesperson denied).[21]
On November 21, 2022,The New York Times reported that the district attorney's office "has moved to jump-start its criminal investigation" into Trump's reported "hush-money payment to a porn star who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump".[22] Bragg confirmed toCNN in January 2023 that the probe was ongoing.[23] On January 30, the office presented evidence to a grand jury regarding Trump's role in the payment.[24] Trump was indicted on March 30[25] and arraigned on April 4; it was the first indictment of a former president in United States history.[26][27] Trump pleaded not guilty.[28] Trump was found guilty of all counts on May 30, 2024, making Bragg the first prosecutor in U.S. history to secure a conviction against a former president.[29]
On July 7, 2022, Jose Alba, a 61-year-oldbodega clerk, was attacked by customer Austin Simon in a dispute over a bag of potato chips. Alba attempted to de-escalate, but after being cornered behind the counter and being shoved into a wall, defended himself with a knife, killing the assailant.[30] Police who investigated the incident described Alba's actions as self defense.[31]
Bragg, in hisprosecutorial discretion, charged Alba with murder and requested bail at $500,000. The judge initially set bail at $250,000, before lowering it to $50,000.[32] The dead attacker's girlfriend also stabbed Alba with her own knife, after attempting to turn Alba's knife back on him. Bragg declined to charge her.[30] After backlash, including fromMayorEric Adams who said Alba was acting in self defense, Bragg ultimately dropped the charges against Alba, noting that "a homicide case against Alba could not be proven at trial beyond a reasonable doubt".[33]
On September 6, 2022,The Washington Post reported thatSteve Bannon would be indicted on September 8 by Bragg's prosecutors on the same charges of fraud that he wasfederally pardoned for by then-President Trump in 2020.[34] On September 8, Bannon was charged with "defrauding Americans who wanted to contribute to construction of a southern border wall, resurrecting a threat that Mr. Bannon seemed to have escaped with a 2021 presidential pardon"; Bannon pleaded not guilty.[35][36][37]
On May 3, 2024, Daniel Penny was charged with criminally negligent homicide andsecond degree manslaughter over the death of Jordan Neely.[38] Penny's charges were dismissed and cleared in early December 2024.[39][40][41]
On February 8, 2025,President Trump announced that he would be revoking the Braggs' security clearance, along with several other officials and attorneys, includingAntony Blinken,Letitia James,Mark Zaid,Hillary Clinton, and formerPresident Joe Biden. The decision followed Bragg’s role inprosecuting Trump in a criminal case. In response, Bragg did not issue a public statement, but other officials affected by the decision accused the move as been politically motivated.[42][43]
Bragg married Jamila Marie Ponton in 2003.[44] They have two children.[5] Bragg at one time taught Sunday School at theAbyssinian Baptist Church.[45]
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| Preceded by | District Attorney of New York County 2022–present | Incumbent |
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