Rep. Mike Lawler Calls for Gov. Hochul to Remove Alvin Bragg Over Failed Leadership and Rising Crime

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s primary responsibility is to keep New Yorkers safe. However, under his tenure, it appears his priorities are elsewhere.

Bragg has consistently shown leniency toward criminals and illegal migrants while focusing his harshest prosecutorial efforts on Good Samaritans and politicians who don’t align with his views.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg attends the trial of Danial Penny on Dec. 2. Steven Hirsch

Throughout his time in office, Bragg has declined to prosecute fare-beating, resisting arrest, and other offences, choosing instead to avoid pre-trial detention in nearly every case. This approach has allowed repeat offenders to roam the streets, re-offending at alarming rates.

As a result, New York City is experiencing its highest levels of felony crimes in decades. Meanwhile, Bragg has gone after individuals like Jose Alba, who defended himself during an attack at a bodega, Daniel Penny, a Marine veteran acquitted after intervening in a violent subway incident, and even President Donald Trump, whom Bragg relentlessly pursued with charges that were later found to be questionable by federal prosecutors and leading legal experts.

US Rep. Michael Lawler (pictured) is one of several politicians calling for controversial Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to resign after the not-guilty verdict in the Daniel Penny case. Douglas Healey

What has Alvin Bragg achieved? He has deepened racial and political divisions in New York City, undermining public trust in the justice system.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has been at the helm of New York State throughout Bragg’s tenure, yet she has remained mostly silent as he tarnishes the reputation of the Manhattan DA’s office. As governor, Hochul holds the authority to remove Bragg from office.

NY Governor Kathy Hochul speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the soon-to-be-built LGBTQ museum, which has begun on the West Side of Manhattan. Matthew McDermott

In light of recent high-profile cases, including Daniel Penny’s acquittal, and the public’s growing fear for their safety on the streets and subways, it’s evident that Bragg has become a liability to the justice system and the people of New York City.

It is time for Gov. Hochul to act decisively and remove Alvin Bragg from office. Anything short of this would signal a lack of seriousness in addressing crime in New York City and a failure to restore public confidence in the state’s justice system.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R) represents New York’s 17th District.