Petition to oust Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg renews bid for recalls in NY
An online petition seeking the ouster of embattled Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is gaining traction over his controversial policies to downgrade or not prosecute certain crimes.
More than 1,800 people had signed on to the change.org petition as of 5 p.m. Wednesday with the heading: “REMOVE MANHATTAN DA BRAGG. DEMAND A RECALL ELECTION NOW.”
The petition — advanced by Republican gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, the GOP candidate for mayor last year — calls for an amendment to the state constitution to allow for a recall election of Bragg.
That revision would require approval of the state Legislature and then voters via a ballot referendum and take several years.
Unlike California, New York does not have a recall provision for voters to remove an elected official before their scheduled re-election.
More immediately, they said Gov. Kathy Hochul could initiate a proceeding under the public officers law to remove Bragg, which would require an extensive investigation and findings of wrongdoing or misconduct.
“Newly elected Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced via memo that he will not prosecute certain `low-level crimes, all while promising to downgrade criminal charges and to decriminalize crimes such as resisting arrest,” Giuliani and Sliwa said.
“While DA Bragg experiments with dangerous policy, Manhattan’s most vulnerable citizens and business owners remain at risk.”
They called it “deeply irresponsible” for Bragg to say prosecutors should only seek incarceration as a “last resort” when prosecuting crimes.
“To not seek carceral sentence other than for homicide exposes Bragg’s ignorance, and inability to defend and protect his constitution,” Giuliani and Sliwa said.
They said it’s about time that New York allowed for a recall provision of an elected official as California does.
“New York deserves the chance to RECALL any elected official if there is basis, as seen in California’s election laws. New York City deserves better,” the duo said .
Similar efforts to recall or remove politicians petered out in the past. A petition previously launched by Staten Island Assembly candidate Marko Kepi sought to oust then-Mayor Bill de Blasio amid a spike in crime and looting during the initial coronavirus outbreak in 2020.
Bragg has been on the defensive after issuing a “Day One” Jan. 3 memo that instructed prosecutors to not seek bail or jail time for many criminals, to downgrade certain felonies to misdemeanors and to not prosecute people for resisting arrest unless it’s part of a larger, felony case.
During interviews over the past week, Bragg insisted his office would prosecute serious cases such as armed robbery but that homeless or mentally shoplifters should be diverted to treatment rather than prosecuted.
Other Republican candidates for governor, Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin and former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, also said Bragg must go over his soft on crime policies. Long Island Rep and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Suozzi also slammed Bragg for going easy on criminals.
Democrat Hochul has been attacked by her foes not taking on Bragg.
