Bronx elected officials are weighing in on the indictment of former President Donald J. Trump, announced Thursday, March 30, relating to, as yet, unsealed criminal charges relating to an investigation by the Office of the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg into Trump over an alleged hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

 

On Friday, March 31, Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15) who represents a large section of The Bronx stretching from the Northwest to the South, said, “The indictment of former president Donald Trump by a grand jury of his peers sends a powerful message to the rest of the world – the United States is governed not by the rule of men but by the rule of law and that no one, not even a former president, is above the law.”

 

Torres continued, “I’m hopeful former President Trump will cooperate fully with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office now that he’s been criminally indicted and would remind him and his supporters there is absolutely no place for political violence or interference in our criminal Justice system.”

The indictment of former President Donald Trump by a grand jury of his peers sends a powerful message to the rest of the world — the United States is governed not by the rule of men but by the rule of law and that no one, not even a former President, is above the law.

— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@RepRitchie) March 31, 2023

 

A day earlier, on Thursday, March 30, Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), who represents parts of The Bronx and Westchester, had similar thoughts on the matter, saying, “No one in this country is above the law – including former President Trump. Being indicted for falsifying business records with hush money is only the beginning of being held accountable for his crimes.”

 

The congressman added, “His continued calls for protests following his arrest are just another dog whistle for his followers: destroy our democracy. Republicans will continue to claim this was a political arrest, but they can’t continue to hide behind their lies, misinformation, and racist attacks towards Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.”

 

Bowman continued, “Trump attempted to illegally overturn election results in Georgia and worked to incite the insurrection at the Capitol, both in an effort to overthrow our government to advance his fascist cause. It’s time that we ensure Trump is banned from running for any public office again and from there, finally take action to fix our democracy.”

 

On Friday, Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) who represents parts of The Bronx and Manhattan, responded to a report by The New York Times that Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who represents the 14th congressional district of Georgia, announced she would be coming to New York on Tuesday to protest the former president’s indictment. Taylor-Greene wrote on Twitter, “I’m going to New York on Tuesday. We MUST protest the unconstitutional WITCH HUNT!” In response, Espaillat wrote, “I don’t know how you do it in your district @RepMTG. But NOT IN OUR CITY.”

I don’t know how you do it in your district @RepMTG.

But NOT IN OUR CITY. https://t.co/OB0WR61HuX

— Adriano Espaillat (@RepEspaillat) March 31, 2023

On Thursday, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), who represents parts of Queens and The Bronx, responded to a Tweet by Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor of Virginia who wrote, “It is beyond belief that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has indicted a former president and current presidential candidate for pure political gain. Arresting a presidential candidate on a manufactured basis should not happen in America.”

 

He added, “The left’s continued attempts to weaponize our judicial system erode people’s faith in the American justice system and it needs to stop.” The congresswoman responded, saying, “Just one question, Governor: did you even read the indictment before sending this tweet?”

Just one question, Governor: did you even see the indictment before sending this tweet? https://t.co/bAbjoPoYm7

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 31, 2023

Another Twitter user, Adam Schrader, pointed out in response to Youngkin’s Tweet that it was not, in fact, Bragg who indicted Trump as such a task does not fall within the remit of a district attorney. He added that it was in fact a grand jury, selected at random, who indicted the former president.

 

On Wednesday, March 29, prior to the indictment announcement, a group of 20 City elected officials, including seven who represent parts of The Bronx, denounced in a written public statement the recent verbal attacks by the former president on Bragg.

 

Among the signatories to the statement are Public Advocate Jumanne Williams, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and members of New York City Council’s Black, Hispanic & Asian Caucus.

 

In a joint statement, they elected officials said the “twice-impeached,” former president launched “a racist tirade” against Bragg last Friday, March 24. “In his attack, the former president labeled DA Bragg as a ‘Soros-backed animal.’ As Black, Latino and Asian elected officials, we are not new to these kinds of attacks against our character, integrity and the color of our skin. But we will not remain silent while a former president hurls these incendiary remarks against the district attorney constitutionally charged with protecting the interest of New Yorkers and upholding state law.”

 

They said the Manhattan DA’s office was full of consummate legal professionals who continue to faithfully investigate crime with grace and integrity. “DA Bragg is an accomplished prosecutor with a storied background of scrutinizing and taking down corrupt public officials across all levels of government, officials not dissimilar to the former insurrectionist-in-chief he is currently seeking justice against,” they said.

 

They went on to allege that the former president was issuing what they described as the inflammatory attacks because he was cornered. “He no longer has the connections, resources, nor the power of the presidential seal to protect himself,” they said. “DA Bragg’s investigation, along with the concurrent investigations of NYS Attorney General Letitia James and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, should serve to remind Trump that he was never, is not and will never be above the law.”

The statement was signed by the following elected officials:

Co-chair Kevin C. Riley (District 12 representing parts of The Bronx)

Co-Chair Oswald Feliz (District 15 representing parts of The Bronx)

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards

Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala (District 8, representing parts of Manhattan and The Bronx)

Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers (District 31, representing parts of Queens)

Councilmember Shaun Abreu (District 7, representing parts of northern Manhattan)

Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa (District 10, representing parts of Northern Manhattan and Marble Hill in The Bronx)

Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez (District 13, representing parts of The Bronx)

Councilmember Pierina Ana Sanchez (District 14, representing parts of The Bronx)

Councilmember Sandra Ung (District 20, representing parts of Queens)

Councilmember Linda Lee (District 23, representing parts of Queens)

Councilmember Shekar Krishnan (District 25, representing parts of Queens)

Councilmember Nantasha Williams (District 27, representing parts of Queens)

Councilmember Crystal Hudson (District 35, representing parts of Brooklyn)

Councilmember Chi Ossé (District 36 representing parts of Brooklyn)

Councilmember Shahana Hanif (District 39, representing parts of Brooklyn)

Councilmember Charles Barron (District 42, representing parts of Brooklyn)

 

The City Council’s Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus (BLAC) consist of 34 of the 51 members of the New York City Council. According to its representatives, the caucus convenes to make sure that issues of particular concern to the City’s Black, Latino and Asian communities are being addressed through the legislative, oversight, and budgetary powers of the City Council.

 

On Friday, The New York Law Journal reported that their source said Trump’s lawyer says the former president will plead not guilty at his arraignment on Tuesday, April 4, at 2:15 p.m. before Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, and that he will not be cuffed.

 

CNN reports that Trump and his allies have already torn into Bragg and the grand jury’s decision, filed in the New York Supreme Court, blasting it as “political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history.” The 45th and one-term president of the United States, who served from 2017 to 2021, denies any wrongdoing.