One Republican bashed him as “pro-criminal.” One other referred to as him a “horrible” prosecutor with a behavior of dropping circumstances. A 3rd urged he was within the pocket of a rich Jewish financier continuously demonized by the far proper.
“He ought to resign and be disbarred,” declared Consultant Jeff Van Drew, Republican of New Jersey.
Two weeks after Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district legal professional, introduced 34 legal expenses towards former President Donald J. Trump, Home Republicans descended on his residence turf on Monday to carry a listening to attacking Mr. Bragg’s report on crime, leveling exaggerated and typically outright false expenses.
Consultant Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, convened his panel on the Jacob Ok. Javits Federal Constructing to listen to from an array of witnesses who’ve been outspoken critics of Mr. Bragg for a session that was ostensibly about crime in New York Metropolis however whose unmistakable subtext was an effort to tarnish the person who’s prosecuting Mr. Trump.
The outcome was a bitterly adversarial listening to that unfolded in a carnival-like environment, drawing offended protesters from the left and the fitting who hoisted indicators and hurled invective that was solely barely extra vitriolic than the talk between Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
At one level, Consultant Hank Johnson, Democrat of Georgia, chastised Republicans for touring to New York to go after Mr. Bragg, saying they have been behaving like “jackbooted thugs.”
A single elected official more than likely has little sway over crime tendencies in a significant metropolitan space, and crime in Manhattan, the place Mr. Bragg took workplace in January 2022, is down from final yr by about 2.4 p.c — although it stays up considerably from two years in the past.
Nonetheless, Republicans used particular person crime victims to attempt to impeach his report. One after the other, the witnesses invited by Republicans advised private horror tales of their encounters with crime within the metropolis, together with struggling an antisemitic assault and dropping a beloved one in a brutal stabbing. The witnesses described New York — the place crime has plummeted in current a long time however spiked through the pandemic, as in different cities — as being in a state of decay, and blamed Mr. Bragg’s insurance policies.
“We obtained no assist from his workplace,” mentioned Madeline Brame, the chairwoman of the Victims Rights Reform Council and the mom of a murder sufferer who for months has taken situation with the district legal professional. “It was a horrific expertise.”
Democrats pushed again towards the Republican effort to vilify Mr. Bragg whereas laboring to point out sympathy for the victims.
“I concern that you’re getting used for a political goal, regardless of your sincerity,” mentioned Consultant Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California, prompting objections from the witnesses.
The listening to got here every week after Mr. Bragg filed a lawsuit towards Mr. Jordan searching for to cease congressional Republicans from interfering in his case towards Mr. Trump — the product of a virtually five-year investigation that started underneath his predecessor — and particularly, to bar them from deposing Mark F. Pomerantz, a lawyer who labored on the inquiry for a few yr.
On Monday, because the congressional listening to was getting underway, a lawyer for Mr. Jordan filed a response to Mr. Bragg’s lawsuit, saying that it represented “a unprecedented and unconstitutional” try to have a choose intervene in a congressional inquiry.
A lawyer for Mr. Bragg declined to touch upon Mr. Jordan’s response.
The listening to was repeatedly interrupted by protesters and outbursts. At one level, a gaggle loudly tried entry into the listening to room, chanting, “Allow us to in!” They held indicators that mentioned “Jim Jordan, Insurrectionist,” referring to the Ohio Republican’s position in planning the efforts in Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the election outcomes, and “34 felonies,” a reference to the costs towards Mr. Trump.
Antisemitism was on vivid show. Outdoors the Javits constructing, a person held an indication with the identify of the financier George Soros, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, together with the picture of a Star of David and greenback indicators. A number of Republicans contained in the listening to room additionally targeted their feedback on Mr. Soros, whom they blamed for supporting the campaigns of progressive prosecutors, together with Mr. Bragg’s.
“With antisemitic tropes emanating from Home Republicans, it’s unsurprising, however no much less vile, to see the Republicans bringing this antisemitism to New York outdoors at this time’s stunt listening to in Manhattan,” mentioned Consultant Jerrold Nadler of New York, the highest Democrat on the committee.
Chaos erupted because the lawmakers left, with anti-Bragg protesters jeering.
Contained in the listening to room, Democrats and Republicans engaged in a heated dispute over the state of crime in New York and across the nation.
Main crime is down barely in New York this yr in contrast with the identical interval final yr, in keeping with the newest statistics. However, as in cities across the nation, New York noticed a pointy enhance in murders and shootings through the coronavirus pandemic. There was a rise in main crimes final yr in New York, however murders, shootings and different crimes have continued to drop.
Mr. Bragg has referred to New York because the “most secure large metropolis in America” and emphasised that its crime fee is decrease than cities within the states of a lot of his Republican critics, together with Columbus, Ohio, simply south of Mr. Jordan’s district.
“How can we transfer the venue so we are able to have a listening to in a metropolis or state that has a severe crime downside — the state of Ohio,” mentioned Consultant David Cicilline, Democrat of Rhode Island.
Republicans mentioned Mr. Bragg, who introduced upon taking workplace final yr that he wouldn’t be prosecuting sure misdemeanor crimes — however later revised these insurance policies amid a backlash — had prompted a criminal offense spree.
“Think about that,” Mr. Jordan mentioned. “You permit criminals on the road, you get extra crime.”
A spokeswoman for Mr. Bragg fired again in a press release: “For outdoor politicians to now seem in New York Metropolis on the taxpayer dime for a political stunt is a slap within the face to the devoted N.Y.P.D. officers, prosecutors and different public servants who work tirelessly daily with information and knowledge to maintain our residence secure.”
For a lot of the listening to, Republicans averted mentioning Mr. Trump’s identify, searching for to maintain the concentrate on crime in New York.
However Consultant Chip Roy, Republican of Texas, made the connection as he argued that Mr. Bragg had no enterprise prosecuting Mr. Trump.
“Was it former President Trump that killed your son?” he requested one sufferer. “Was it former President Trump that killed the one you love?” he requested one other.
