Editorial: Bragging rights: District Attorney Alvin Bragg beat the doubters
As the dust settles in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s felony conviction, some appreciation is in order. Like many, we were skeptical of the Stormy Daniels case when it was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
We’ve found plenty to hit Bragg over during his tenure. His Day One memo on prosecutorial discretion featured some head-scratchers like a provision that seemed to treat armed robberies as misdemeanors if the assailant’s weapon did not “create a genuine risk of physical harm.”
His overly cautious approach let the first Trump case — involving the former president’s shady and fraudulent business practices running his real estate operation — slip away, fortunately to be somewhat saved in the form of civil action by state Attorney General Tish James.
When Bragg brought this case, the first of Trump’s criminal indictments, we were glad that finally there would be some accountability, but we were among those who wondered if it was really that strong of a case, and if it might end up being counterproductive.
We were too skittish — as it turned out, the case was strong, and it took an exhaustively selected jury almost no time at all to reach a guilty verdict. It ended up being the only criminal case that has moved ahead in time to be resolved before the election, with the Georgia and two federal cases idling for various reasons.
Bragg was right, and his prosecutors carefully laid out the evidence and made their case. We have him to thank that, months in advance of the election, the matter is resolved. This was his job as a prosecutor, but it’s also a service to the country that took real courage, especially in light of harassment from Trump acolytes like Rep. Jim Jordan and Trump’s own frequent dark warnings about plans to go after foes if he makes it back to the White House.
The voters will decide on Trump’s candidacy, Bragg’s resoluteness helps ensure that he won’t; the political repercussions of the verdict will remain to be seen, but there’s a good chance that Trump will be electorally hurt by the collapse of the illusion of being untouchable.
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