Who is Alvin Bragg? The Manhattan DA behind Trump’s indictment
As former US President Donald Trump heads for his court hearing, we take a look at all the players in the case you need to be aware of.
Last Thursday, a grand jury in New York City voted to indict former US President Donald Trump in the case related to a hush money payment made to Stephanie Clifford, better known by her stage name, Stormy Daniels. Let’s take a look first at the man who brought the case forward, and some of the other key players who’ll be making the headlines.
**Follow all the latest from Donald Trump’s arraignment live**
Alvin Bragg: the DA who brought the case against Donald Trump
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg sealed his name in the record books after he obtained a grand jury indictment against Donald Trump and made him the first U.S. president to ever be criminally charged.
Alvin Bragg is the 37th Manhattan district attorney, assuming the office in January 2022, succeeding Cyrus Vance Jr. He is the first black person to serve in this position. His biography calls him “a son of Harlem.”
Prior to his election as DA, Bragg served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, where he tried a range of cases involving public corruption, financial fraud, and violent crime.
The Harvard-educated lawyer also worked as a civil rights attorney, serving as the chief deputy attorney general for social justice in the New York State Attorney General’s office.
Aside from his legal work, Bragg has been involved in various community and advocacy organizations focused on transforming the criminal justice system. He is a member of the board of directors of the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that works to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals.
Bragg, a democrat, campaigned for Manhattan district attorney focusing on his commitment to criminal justice reform. He promised to prioritize issues such as police accountability, ending mass incarceration, and reducing racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Alvin Bragg has his share of critics
When his term as Manhattan district attorney began, he was criticized for not moving forward with the case that was being developed against Trump involving the former president’s alleged lies to banks and tax officials. Bragg later said he didn’t act on it because the case was not ready.
He has also had some conflict with New York City police commissioner Keechant Sewell regarding Bragg’s approach to crime, but they have since learned to work together.
Who is Stormy Daniels aka Stephanie Clifford?
Ms. Clifford worked as an adult film star when she met Donald Trump at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in 2006. The two are alleged to have had an affair that continued for some time after their initial meeting, with Donald Trump, who was married at the time, promising to get Ms. Clifford a spot on ‘The Apprentice.’ Prosecutors argue that the hush money payment was covered up by the Trump campaign in 2016 to avoid the secret coming out, as it could have damaged his candidacy.
Who is Michael Cohen?
The information on the payment to Ms. Clifford became known to investigators thanks to the former personal attorney of Donald Trump, Michael Cohen. Cohen has cooperated with law enforcement in the investigation and was one of Donald Trump’s former employees to testify against him during the grand jury hearing that landed him an indictment.
Who is Judge Juan Merchan?
Already, Donald Trump is railing against Judge Juan Merchan, who NBC has reported is likely to oversee his arrangement. On his own social media platform, Truth Social, the former president said that Judge Merchan “HATES” him and that he was “hand-picked” by DA Bragg. Officials with the New York courts have confirmed that, like all other defendants, the judge was selected at random.
Members of the New York justice system who have worked with the judge have disregarded the comments made by Donald Trump and spoken publicly about his judicial record in presiding over challenging cases. A former judge, Barry Kamins, who now works as a defense lawyer, told NBC that he has known Judge Merchan for decades and that he “is well-known, even in difficult cases, to exhibit excellent temperament, integrity and a solid knowledge of the law.”
Who is Joseph Tacopina?
Al Jazeera has speculated that Joseph Tacopina, a Brooklyn native, will serve as Donald Trump’s lawyer in the case. Tacopina’s client list is full of celebrities, which is, hopefully, a positive sign for the former president, considering his track record with lawyers. Looking at the deterioration of his relationships with Michael Cohen and Rudy Giuliani, he has not always had the best luck in selecting legal representation.