Matt Bush, FISM News
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On Monday the House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), held a field hearing in Manhattan where they heard statements about how Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “pro-crime, anti-victim policies” led to an increase in violent crime in New York City.
A list of all eight witnesses, along with their testimony, can be found here. The Post Millenial posted a video to Twitter of the testimony of a mother of a veteran who was murdered in NYC.
Mother of a veteran who was murdered in NYC RIPS into DA Alvin Bragg for his leniency on crimes
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 17, 2023
The official title of the hearing is “Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan,” and the testimony provided by the victims and their advocates was emotional and moving. In the midst of the hearing, however, the overarching purpose of the testimony was clear: to embarrass Bragg and to show that his indictment of Donald Trump is nothing more than a political stunt.
According to a CNN poll, 76% of Americans believe that politics played a role in Trump’s indictment, and House Republicans are fighting back against a politically motivated DA with a politically motivated hearing.
At the same time, the testimony from the hearing and the light that the hearing shined on Bragg’s pro-criminal, anti-victim policies were true and poignant.
“New York City has lost its way when it comes to fighting crime and upholding the law,” Jordan said. “Here in Manhattan, the scales of justice are weighed down by politics. For the district attorney justice isn’t blind — it’s about advancing opportunities to promote a political agenda — a radical political agenda.”
Alvin Bragg was elected in 2021 and sworn into office on January 1, 2022, and there was a clear increase in major crimes during his first year in office. A CNN article states, “Rape was up about 20%, robbery about 18%, felony assault about 7%, burglary about 30%, grand larceny about 33%. Murder (down about 15%) was a major exception.”
What made Monday’s testimony powerful was how personal and emotional each of the eight witnesses were in telling their stories.
Madeline Brame, the mother of a New York City murder victim, had a heated exchange with Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.). Brame testified about Bragg’s mishandling of her son’s murder case, an Army Sergeant who was beaten and stabbed nine times by multiple people in 2018.
After allowing her son’s case to drag on for years, Bragg removed the indictments of two suspects in favor of lesser charges.
“We’re not insulting you. Your experiences are devastating, but the problem is, is that this is a charade to cover up for an abuse of power. [Republicans] are going around incessantly, outside of this hearing, about Donald Trump, and the purpose of this hearing is to cover up for what they know to be an inappropriate investigation,” Goldman said.
When Brame asked to respond to Goldman, he replied, “Not right now, because I only have 20 seconds, I’m sorry. But I, I do,” at which point Brame responded anyway.
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Brame interjected as Goldman tried to speak. “You’re trying to insult me like I’m not aware of what’s going on here. I’m fully aware of what’s going on here, OK? That’s why I walked away from the plantation of the Democratic Party.”
Much of the hearing went similarly. Witnesses tried to share their personal, emotional stories with Democrats largely decrying the fact that the hearing was an attack on Bragg and on many occasions trying to bring gun control into the testimony.
Bragg was not invited to testify but did release a statement that read in part, “ending violence, stopping crime, and supporting victims and their families are his most sacred duties and that he will always work with any local, state or federal partner who is serious about achieving lasting public safety.”