Republicans in Congress are pushing for legislation that would bar any state or local prosecutor from using federal funds to investigate a president, particularly targeting Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).
The Accountability for Lawless Violence In our Neighborhoods Act, or ALVIN Act, would force Bragg’s office to return all federal funding received since he took office.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R–Ariz.), who spearheaded the legislation, claims that Bragg’s office has spent thousands of federal tax dollars to subsidize a “political indictment” of former President Trump. Bragg’s office reports that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office receives about $630,000 annually and has access to another $200,000 to use by 2024, through various grants designed to help local law enforcement combat crime.
Bragg’s office reports that only $5,000 was spent by his predecessor relating to investigations of the Trump organization and that this money came from federal forfeiture money. Biggs is also introducing another bill that would not allow any prosecutor who receives funding through various federal programs to “investigate or prosecute the President or Vice President, a former President or Vice President, or a candidate for the office of President.”
Republicans are concerned that Bragg is weaponizing his office for political ends, and not addressing the serious crime in the city. Biggs says, “It’s disturbing to see District Attorney Bragg waste federal resources for political purposes rather than addressing the serious crime in his city.”
Bragg is fighting back, filing a lawsuit to block a subpoena from House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R–Ohio), accusing him of improperly interfering in an ongoing prosecution. The suit states, “The charges the District Attorney filed against Mr. Trump were approved by citizens of New York. Rather than allowing the criminal process to proceed in the ordinary course, Chairman Jordan and the Committee are participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation, and obstruction.”
The ALVIN Act and the No Federal Funds for Political Prosecutions Act ensure that George Soros-funded and radical Leftist District Attorney Alvin Bragg is held accountable for misusing federal funds. https://t.co/AD1uTHfagP
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) April 13, 2023
