AMAC Exclusive- By Andrew Abbott
Standing before a congregation at Abyssinian Baptist Church this past Sunday, newly installed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg admitted that “it has been a challenging two weeks” since he took office. Given all that’s happened both inside the DA’s office and on the streets of New York City over that span, that comment may be an early contender for understatement of the year.
Bragg’s trouble began on January 3 when he released his “Policies and Procedure memo.” Effective immediately, the memo essentially says, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office will explicitly do everything in its power to avoid incarcerating accused and convicted criminals in all but the most extreme cases.
In addition to seeking “alternatives” to incarceration, the DA’s office said it will also outright refuse to prosecute a myriad of “minor” crimes. Among those crimes are all marijuana misdemeanors, refusing to pay for public transportation; all non-felonious traffic infractions; prostitution; and resisting arrest. So while you can no longer legally enter a restaurant without a COVID vaccine in America’s largest city, you can run from the cops by fare-hopping onto the subway and later smoke weed on the street corner while prostituting yourself – without any worry of trouble from DA Bragg.
Bragg also revealed that his office would automatically and significantly downgrade several serious felonies to misdemeanors. Specifically, Third Degree Robbery and Second Degree Robbery while the criminal “displays what appears to be a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, machine gun or other firearms,” will all be downgraded to Petit Larceny, a Class A misdemeanor. First Degree Robbery involving a deadly weapon, threatening “the immediate use of a dangerous instrument, “or while displaying a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, or other firearms,” will also be charged as a misdemeanor.
In response to these new policies, many prosecutors in the Manhattan DA’s office have chosen to head for the exits rather than be part of the new regime. Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, the lead on the Harvey Weinstein case, departed last week after being with the office since 1988. One source inside the office said that the departures appear to be driven by “a cultural and radical shift in policy.”
Andrew Giuliani, a Republican running for Governor of New York and son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, also launched a petition along with Curtis Sliwa, who was the GOP candidate for New York City Mayor last year, to recall Bragg from office. While the effort is unlikely to be successful, as it would require the State Legislature to approve a ballot referendum, the online petition has garnered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a week, suggesting that opposition to Bragg’s policies is already growing just days after they were implemented.
In addition to law-abiding residents, the city’s police officers have been particularly outspoken against Bragg’s new policies, as many are now finding themselves wondering why they should risk their lives stopping criminals that the DA’s office will refuse to prosecute. New York’s newly elected Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said she was “deeply troubled” by DA Bragg’s Jan 3 memo and “very concerned about the implications to [the safety of] police officers, the safety of the public, and justice for the victims.” Bragg’s office dismissed her concerns, and Bragg later theorized that she “misread” the memo. He then attempted to assuage the fears of New Yorkers in a recent interview by saying that “the policy is very, very clear. You go into a store with a gun to rob someone, that is going to be prosecuted…The policy is crystal clear on that…If you walk in with a gun and stick a store up, that’s a robbery.”
Despite these assurances, that is not how it appears to be playing out so far. Last week, for example, the New York Post reported that William Rolon, who has 16 misdemeanor convictions and has failed to appear in court eight times, was only charged with a misdemeanor, not robbery, after allegedly threatening a drug store worker with a knife. “Based on your record, you would have faced a long period of time in jail if convicted,” Judge Jay Weiner told Rolon. “The newly elected district attorney has new policies. You’re not charged with robbery; you’re charged with a misdemeanor here.” Under New York’s bail reform laws, Rolon was also released without bond.
Given that New York was already experiencing a record spike in violent crimes before Bragg took office, imposing an extreme set of policies that are even more lenient for criminals may seem like a puzzling move. However, Bragg is one of a growing number of high-profile DA’s funded by billionaire George Soros, who has in recent years taken an unusual interest in local prosecutor races. Soros reportedly spent $1 million on Bragg’s campaign and became the latest in a line of dozens of radically progressive District Attorneys hand-picked and financially backed by Soros. In all of those cities with Soros-backed District Attorneys, which include Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and now, New York, crime is continuing to worsen while those who are supposed to prosecute criminals are going out of their way to keep dangerous offenders out of prison while seemingly showing little concern for the victims they’ve criminalized.
However, despite Soros’s influence and the left’s obsession with such “restorative justice,” the devastation wrought by policies like those advanced by Bragg may ultimately prove too much for even other liberal Democrats to condone. New York City’s four other District Attorneys have already blasted Bragg for his soft on crime approach and are deeply concerned that the violence his policies could unleash could spill over into their districts. New York Mayor Eric Adams, a former police chief who ran on a platform of law and order, claims to be similarly concerned. For his own sake and for that of the people under his protection, let’s hope Bragg chooses to heed their concerns over Soros’s and reverse course on his already failed policies.
Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.
Apply nationwide, or Blue States
The breaking point is dangerously close.
Get this clown out asap, people will die
This is a planned exercise! Once local police agencies have been devastated and crime is rampant the federal government will use it as an excuse to crack down on us citizens under the false pretense of protecting us. It may even lead to martial law.
Just when do we realize that when Soros said he intends to destroy America, he wasn’t joking! He should be immediately arrested, fined twice his entire net worth to pay for the damage he has caused and that still wouldn’t pay for the riots last, then deported to a country we hate, Hungary won’t take him back now. Don’t put him in prison here, we have already paid enough!
Same thing I said yesterday. And that is that leftists keep voting for leftists when they tell them exactly what they are going to do. So the leftists must either like it or have very low IQs. Honestly I would never travel to or visit one of these leftist run 3rd world sh**holes. KAG
There were clues of Bragg’s policies during the election that NYC voters ignored. Bragg stated, during the campaign, that he would not charge those who resist arrest with resisting arrest. That is a gift to those being arrested and a threat to the safety of police officers.
I’m still trying to understand how any elected official can decide what laws to enforce and what laws to ignore. I have always thought the law was the law, passed by a legislature, signed by an executive, and obligated to be enforced by authorities. That there was no latitude to simply ignore or arbitrarily change laws that some prosecutor or even a judge does not favor. What am I missing here? This guy is ignoring his sworn duty to the law and abusing his power I think. So why is he not in prison?
New Yorkers made a mistake when this district attorney was elected. He seems to be writing a policy and then verbally rewriting it. How long will he be allowed to be on every side of every issue?
Soros is without question the Devil’s spawn. His money has corrupted many low life politicians..Obama, Biden, Harris, Peloisi, Schumer etc. etc. etc. even to the state level evil minions.
America is headed down a black hole.
Only God in His mercy can save her. Pray for our beloved country !
New yorkers deserve the high crime rate as they voted these people in because they we’re demonrats. I guess they didn’t like it when Giuliani was in office. He made the streets safe. You get what you vote for. They hate replubicans that much they would put up with this. P.s. why are you uasing face book & twitter owned by libterds
Denise, Well stated. I have read that his son is as evil and hateful as him. Yes, prayer is our only hope.
No politicians, any party,, should ever be allowed financial contributions from non-citizens! Next Republican President should have the whole Soros family made extinct!
I love it!! The voters aren’t the intelligent elite the MSM portrays them to be but rather ignorant bumpkins that deserve everything they get. Keep it coming until each and everyone who put this Soros-selected socialist into office becomes a victim of a “misdemeanor”.
HOPE ALL OF THEIR CRIME VICTIMS ARE liberals ONLY
The current Democrat Governor has the power to fire Bragg at any time. Yet you’ll notice that she has chosen to not do so. What does that tell you about where the so-called “moderate” Democrats, as the media continues to portray her, holding elected office really stand? So the problem just isn’t the latest Soros backed DA to gain office, but the reality that the Democrat Party of the state of New York largely supports the positions Bragg has espoused. They just don’t issue memos stating it. If the Party didn’t, Bragg would have been fired and replaced already.
Half of Bragg’s assistant DA’s have already resigned in protest, because they refuse to support his soft on crime policies. So that means the already slow justice system in New York City just got a lot slower and with the current no bail policies in place, that means the few criminals that the DA does choose to charge will be back on the streets longer to commit additional crimes before they face their day in court over their original charge.
Neither Bragg nor New York are unique in any way. Soros has been very successful in getting his DAs elected in at least 15 major cities in the United States. The Democrat Party in each of these states, where the DAs have been elected, are very similar to New York. Meaning ultra liberal with spiraling crime rates and a declining standard of living. This is the future of economic and social justice that the Democrats envision for America as a whole.
I don’t expect the voters of New York State to vote for any Republican that promises to be truly tough on crime and return to the common sense policing policies that existed under Rudy Giuliani in NYC. They had an option recently to elect a Republican Mayor and turned that down by a wide margin. New York City is completely dominated by Democrats, so the only question for the next Governor of New York, which unfortunately controls the fate of the entire state, is whether they opt for a so-called “moderate” incompetent Democrat or they decide to select one of the more truly radical leftists to cheer on people like Bragg as the city and state continues its steady decline. What a choice huh? Yet that is the reality in far too many Democrat run states and cities in this country.
Part of this article is wrong. They mention how he was voted into office and how Soros put a million dollars into his campaign. What the fail to mention is all the money that Soros put into rigging the machines which once again stole the election. He was not so popular that he got in by people voting for him, the election was rigged with the machines as they have been in NY and CA for the last 20 years. Sidney Powell has proved this and it is going to court.
What is it with Soros? I think his end game is to destroy America, and the Democrats think he’s doing great things. But then, the Democrats have major blind spots in so many areas.
George Soros is a naturalized citizen. He has shown himself dedicated to destroying whatever America has stood for over two hundred years. He should be stripped of his United States citizenship and be deported back to wherever he came from.
The civil war has already started, people in New York need to go after the DA with weapons, do whatever you need to,knowing that you will not be prosecuted. It’s a no brainer to get back to a civilized nation!Remember you are just following the new laws that were presented to you!
Until the United States recognizes that Soros is a clear and present danger to the Republic, nothing will change. He will continue to spend billions of dollars to promote his communist agenda, and destroy the Republic and the civil liberties of the United States. Oh, and for entertainment do some research on Soros his past, but most interesting his global foundations. And as I understand he is wanted in his home country.
I also watched this 60-minutes & at that time Soros answered he does not believe in GOD,
Have you seen the movie “Escape from New York”?
The AMERICAN people are the ones who will suffer the most when we ALLOW “IDIOTS” like this to be in office especially since their only obligations and loyalties are are to the MONEY people who are paying them off. The law abiding citizens deserve someone who is NOT under the thumb of the money suppliers. They should only be beholding to the people of this country and have the “GUTS” to actually stand and tell the criminals of this country and the world that we will not allow you to get away with your criminal and killing ways. If people like this POS in NYC have their way then it is time for all citizens to do what is necessary to protect themselves, their families, their property and other innocent people from the corrupt deviant rulings of these PAID FOR officials.
Is the count of dead on the job criminals going to increase?
Maybe one of the so called criminals will attack his family. Then let’s see how soft and snuggled he’ll be. One more reason to leave crimepire state.
Outrage… But no action. To bad NYC
With the Major cities decriminalizing statutes, reducing or just about eliminating cash bail what is solution to restore law and order, the federal government? Los Angeles has requested the Feds to take a Homicide case because the City DA will not prosecute as the case warrants. Is Federal involvement part of the overall big Government plan? Do we really want or need Federal Law Enforcement in the routine cases at the local level?
All of these criminals should be OR’ed in the District Attorney’s gated communities. If they live in an apartment, OR them in Soro’s backyard.
All major BLUE states are now run by radical progressive leftists, They literally hate our founding and our constitution which is sacred and our only real protection from the evils of people like SOROS, And all of his cronies. These DA ‘S are extremely dangerous to every law abiding American citizen and with this terrible agenda of not prosecuting hardened criminals and allowing them to now rob and commit heinous crimes without any worries about anything our society will rapidly deteriorate and our law enforcement policies will mean nothing. It’s definitely another democrat destructive agenda.
It’s my understanding that SOROS has DUEL CITIZENSHIP. STRIP him of his U.S. CITIZENSHIP PERMANENTLY and DEPORT HIS FASCIST DERRIERE. FREEZE HIS FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS IN THE U. S. …
George Soros should be deported from our country and never be able to return and what kind of idiots live in NYC that would elect that imbecile? I have never really had a desire to go to NYC and now I KNOW I will never go there as long as jackasses like this guy are in office. Or maybe soros will drop dead….he is an old fart…and EVIL.
The idiots in NYC voted this joker in…let them live with it. As a former president once said…”elections have consequences”.
All the more reason that people are going to start to take the law into their own hands
Soros is nothing more than an egotistical, money and power grabbing elitist! I’d love to be around when Karma finally arrives to bring him down!!!
This idiot is working exactly backwards. NYC was wild like this when Rudy became mayor. He started the “broken window” plan and stop-and-frisk and crime fell precipitously. If you want safe neighborhoods, you must enforce SMALL CRIMES first so that people know you are serious. Otherwise, they just keep escalating!
Soros was a Nazi war criminal in his youth and said he found it “exhilarating” to turn in his fellow Jews. He is unwelcome in at least six countries and his life is forfeit should he ever try to get into The Phillipines again. He thrives on controlling and ruining countries – their economy, way of life etc. Once upon a time, Nazi war criminals were sent out of Argentina to answer for their crimes. Soros should not be above the law.
It’s going to take a lot more than this deliberate chaos to get new yorkers to reconsider communism. Remember, leftists never blame themselves for anything. They’ll first demand the entire state of new york be disarmed so that recidivist felons in the city have to use baseball bats instead of smuggled in firearms. Leftism is like schizophrenia in that once developed in the host it rarely gets better. The zombies that live there may give into reactionary politics but just as soon as they feel safe going out their door they’ll revert to form.
Soros money has funded the destruction of America for years and our politicians,Democrat & Republican, have looked the other way. There needs to be dollars limits to political donations. Soros has created various political organizations in which he funds money to his political agendas, everyone knows how he does it but fear keeps anyone from addressing the issue.
Stop the Destruction of America, Defund Soros
George Sorros needs to meet the KKK. Kyle L.
The same situation is occurring in Los Angeles. George Gascon, a politician who moved from San Francisco to run for District Attorney of Los Angeles county, has similarly refused to prosecute many low to mid-level crimes. This has garnered the ire of the Los Angeles county sheriff, Alex Villanueva, who has gone around the DA’s office and taken their accused criminals to federal court. Gascon is being threatened with recall, but, with the failure of the Newsome recall, I think they’re going to wait until he’s up for reelection. All of us have to be aware that this “soft on crime” movement is part of the effort to change our American way of life, by making the common man feel threatened by crime.
Soros needs to be hauled in and prosecuted for trying to over throw the local Governments, or charge him with sedition. If this corrupt government and media would go after this evil piece of crap like they have Trump ( which I’m not totally sold on Trump ) we might improve this country. But sadly the corruption runs to deep in our governments ( esp. local and state ) and our young college adults ( can not call them adults ) have been to brainwashed for this to be done without EVERYONE pulling their heads out and waking the hell up and smelling the damn coffee. We need Jesus NOW more than ever.
Soros has promised to destroy the USA. So far it is working. We need to stand up for what is right. Use some common sense and get rid of this bought and payed for prosecutor. “We the People” own this country, not Soros and his evil.
Down grade some crimes? That why this country is going to suffer more crimes.
For all the negative things he is done to this country his citizenship should be stripped. And all of his foundations and organizations should be prohibited from doing business in this country any longer. I don’t care how much money he has we don’t need it especially if it’s going to be spent the way he spends it. He doesn’t live here so what is he care? That’s the point he doesn’t.
Bragg is a fool, and Soros…..money will buy you nothing in Hell.
Find Soros and put him in prison and lose the key! He is evil!
Another guy who should be charged with treason and hung.
Why can’t a private citizen bring charges?
Soros-backed New York D.A.
First, the double standard will never go away. What is Bragg doing in a Baptist church? Was it on Sunday? Democrats choose to break the law whenever it will serve their purposes. Aren’t there stipulations placed on politicking in places of worship? Of course, after decades of this practice, everyone has grown used to democrats who routinely practice this. OK for them, not Republicans.
Second, campaign finance reform drafted by the democrats must have something to say about how much money a candidate can accept from an outside donor. One million for Bragg’s campaign? Smacks of illegal donations to a public campaign.
Third, Bragg – anarchist.