Alvin Bragg's office is examining whether Donald Trump and his company broke state laws in paying hush money to an adult film star.
As speculation mounts that former President Donald Trump could soon be indicted over hush money payments to an adult film actress in 2016, Alvin Bragg may have to make a history-making decision.
Who is he? Alvin Bragg is the 37th Manhattan district attorney, taking the post a little over a year ago.
He's a Harlem native, a Democrat, has served as a state and federal prosecutor, and is the first Black person to serve as the Manhattan DA.
Bragg has spent more than two decades working within the criminal justice system, and, according to his bio, focuses his energy on issues like recidivism, gun violence, and police misconduct.
This isn't his first encounter with Trump-related litigation. He faced controversy at the beginning of his term as DA when he decided to not move forward on the long-running case surrounding the former president's alleged lies to banks and tax authorities. He later said the case wasn't ready.
Scott Olson / Getty Images
/
Getty Images
Demonstrators gather outside of Manhattan Criminal Court as a grand jury prepares to vote on whether to indict Donald Trump.
If the grand jury votes to indict, it would be the first time a former president has been indicted. But ultimately, it would be up to Bragg whether to pursue those charges.
NPR correspondent Ilya Marritz spoke with former federal prosecutor and a friend of Bragg, Danya Perry, about the matter: "Some of the legal theories, as much as we can see from the outside in, do appear to be novel. But I do give [Bragg] credit for starting from scratch, building his own case and making sure that he feels comfortable with it."
For his part, on Saturday Trump called on his supporters to resist the DA's moves, posting on his social media platform Truth Social that they should "PROTEST" and "TAKE OUR NATION BACK".
It's obvious that this is a sham. And something that we want to know: were federal funds involved? Did this stem from — it sure looks like it grew out of the special counsel investigation, because those are the legislative concerns we have as Congress.
And NPR correspondent Ilya Marritz says, politics aside, the logistics alone would be a tall order for Bragg:
If the grand jury does indict Trump, the logistics of bringing him in for fingerprinting for an arraignment will be an enormous test of Bragg's ability to coordinate with the former president, his lawyers, the Secret Service and the police. There are security concerns, including for Bragg and his staff. Trump has always said he is innocent, and he's been lobbing abuse at the DA on social media all weekend.
We will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we let baseless accusations deter us from fairly applying the law ... In every prosecution, we follow the law without fear or favor to uncover the truth. Our skilled, honest and dedicated lawyers remain hard at work.
The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images
/
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Trump said on social media that he'll be arrested Tuesday as part of the investigation.
So, what now?
NPR senior political correspondent Domenico Montanaro wrote in his analysis that "indications are that a grand jury in New York is very close to indicting Trump." But there's no official word on when that decision will be announced.
Trump himself has insisted without evidence that "illegal leaks" will lead to his arrest Tuesday. At the time of publication, that hasn't happened. And his attorney clarified to NPR that the date is speculation based on media reports and not based in any communication for the DA's office.
Manuela López Restrepo is a producer and writer at All Things Considered. She's been at NPR since graduating from The University of Maryland, and has worked at shows like Morning Edition and It's Been A Minute. She lives in Brooklyn with her cat Martin.
A class-action lawsuit has been filed after part of a decades-old sewer line in Maryland collapsed in January, sending raw sewage into the Potomac River. After weather delays, repair work has resumed.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump announced Friday afternoon that Richard Grenell is leaving the Kennedy Center. The arts complex is scheduled to close in July for renovations.
A federal judge has put the brakes on a criminal probe of the Federal Reserve, saying it was part of an improper campaign by the Trump administration to pressure the central bank into cutting interest rates.
The test can help assess your lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease. That, along with earlier treatment for high cholesterol, is part of new doctors' guidelines.
In a new study, bats lap up vaccine-laced saline or chow down on vaccine-carrying mosquitoes. Will that have any impact on the flying mammal's immune system?
You make NHPR possible.
NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.
Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.
