Opinion what to shop now

Why Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump is

falling apart
By Jonathan Turley March 23, 2023 7:38pm Updated

You won't believe how much tickets

cost for Adele's last Las Vegas
concerts

The 25 best everyday items to buy on

This video cannot be played because of a Amazon for under $25
technical error.
(Error Code: 102700) The best tinted moisturizers of 2023
for every skin type, according to
professionals

We tested 12 hair mousses, and these

are the best we reviewed in 2023

Friend running late? Hold a Blank

Space for them in line for the Eras
tour

Itappears that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will

More On: go another week in the legal effort to locate the nation of Columnists
alvin bragg Kailasa on a map.
Douglas Murray
Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for Recently, Mayor Ras Baraka and the city of Newark held a
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s
arrest for investigating Trump formal ceremony signing a partnership with the nation of Disaster when countries look to
Kailasa that pledged mutual cultural, social and political courts, not ballot box, for politics
Ex-Cohen lawyer says he ‘really development.
stirred up’ Trump hush-money
grand jury Cindy Adams
After all of the fanfare, pomp and circumstance subsided, a
small problem emerged.
Convicted ISIS recruiter and
marriage fixer sentenced to 18 Andrew Lloyd Webber to miss
years in prison Kailasa does not exist. opening of 'Bad Cinderella' to be with
ill son

Trump ducks photographers as One can certainly wonder why no one in Newark has access
he leaves Florida golf to Google or bothered to ask how a Hindu nation founded by
course with possible indictment Piers Morgan
looming an accused con man formed on an island off the coast of
Ecuador.
DeSantis reveals agony of wife
Casey's cancer battle and sudden
However, to their credit, they did not continue to try to prove death of sister at age 30
that Kailasa actually did exist under some creative geographical and political interpretation.
See All Columnists
Despite similar widespread doubts over the existence of a viable state crime, Alvin Bragg continues a
quest for his legal Kailasa.

Covers
Today's Cover
Front Cover
Flip for back cover

Browse Covers

Trending Now
on NYPost.com

67,811

Transgender cyclist wins NYC

women's race days after other rider
quits in anger

32,467

Biden irked by Kamala Harris not

'rising to occasion' or taking 'anything
Alvin Bragg is looking to indict Donald Trump for paying off Stormy Daniels. off his plate'
Steven Hirsch

While an indictment was expected this week , the grand jury looking into former President Donald Trump 28,635
will go another week amid reports of opposition in the grand jury over what is viewed as a “weak” case.

The problem is that Bragg has long been searching for a crime in the criminal code to fulfill his pitch during
his campaign that he was the man for voters who wanted to bag Trump.

The falsification of business records in reference to the $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels
might have been a possibility, but it lacked two things.
Bride viciously trolled for wedding
day workout video with bridesmaids
First, it expired as a chargeable misdemeanor after two years — and
that was roughly five years ago.
see also
Second, it was a mere misdemeanor that could be brushed off by
Trump even if they succeeded.

Prosecutors then created a Rube Goldberg approach and suggested

that the misdemeanor was committed to conceal a federal election law
violation — a crime that the Justice Department declined to charge.
editorial
That theory has been widely ridiculed, even by many on the left. The Fumbling his Trump
bootstrapping of a federal crime under this statute appears case, Alvin Bragg
unprecedented and likely unsustainable. exposes his
incompetence
nationwide
The reason that the Justice Department likely declined the case was
that it had previously tried to show that hush money paid to bury an
affair was a federal campaign expense.

It failed in the case of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

There are a host of reasons why a married celebrity like Trump might pay hush money separate from a
presidential run.

Trump paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to not reveal the affair they had.
Stormy Daniels

Bragg himself scoffed at the theory and stopped the investigation when he came into power.

Two prosecutors, Carey R. Dunne and Mark F. Pomerantz, then resigned and Pomerantz took what some
of us view as a highly unprofessional and improper act of publishing a book on the case against Trump —
a person who was still under investigation and not charged, let alone convicted, of any crime.

The pressure campaign worked and Bragg pushed the dubious theory to a grand jury.

Like Kailasa, the Bragg indictment has an established conman who

insisted it exists.
see also
Bragg has Michael Cohen, the former lawyer to Trump. A disbarred
lawyer, Cohen is a convicted felon and one of the most repellent
figures with a long history of false statements.

Then things got even worse when the lawyer for his star witness came
forward with more than 300 emails contradicting his testimony.
Trump’s campaign raked
Another letter on behalf of Cohen to the Federal Election Commission in $1.5M since his claims
also surfaced that expressly contradicted his claims. of arrest: report

Finally, and probably most significantly for Bragg, the politics may have
turned .

Even Democrats are hard pressed to defend the reported basis for the indictment and Sen. Chuck
Schumer declined to express his support for the effort.

The media and pundits have warned that Bragg could be undermining other efforts to indict Trump before
the election with this weak case.

Trump has blasted the judicial system for being politicized against him.
Truth Social / @realDonaldTrump

Trump has said for years that Democrats have weaponized the criminal justice system against him and
Bragg just gave him proof positive to support that claim.

With this raw political prosecution, Bragg fulfilled the narrative of Trump, who is rising in the polls at the
very time that Biden is plunging.

The expectation is still that Bragg can get an indictment even out of a skeptical grand jury. He could then
bank on a favorable and motivated judge and jury.

Moreover, even if the case ultimately fails on appeal, many in New York will still praise Bragg.

185 What do you think? Post a comment.

This is a thrill kill case and the prospect for many Democrats of Trump in handcuffs is exhilarating to the
point of being indecent.

For some voters, it may be commendable that Bragg would prosecute Trump on a trumped-up case. After
all, any prosecutor can bring a real case. It takes a true believer to prosecute when there is no viable
crime.

So Bragg continues to stare at the map to find his Kailasa. He just needs to convince a grand jury that
they see it, too.

Jonathan Turley is an attorney and a professor at George Washington University Law School.

Filed under alvin bragg arrests donald trump stormy daniels 3/23/23

Read Next Don't buy TikTok boss' claims about his platform's threat ...

Conversation 185 Comments 1.3K Viewing

Share your stance. Please adhere to our guidelines .

Sort by Best
View 1 new comment

Dennis Lee
12 hours ago

Bragg refuses to prosecute over 35% of violent crimes in NYC, claiming he has no resources.
crime is through the roof.

Yet he has resources to prosecute Trump on campaign finance issue in a federal election that
feds can prosecute. Which even feds refused in the past, because there was n...

See more
Reply 169 Share

Voodoo
11 hours ago

Bragg is a puppet. He has to do what his masters tell him to do.

Reply 89 Share
1 reply

Nobody
12 hours ago

When the republicans took the house they obtained the only place in the us where non woke
could ask questions and demand answers.

Should Bragg be called to testify before a committee he can be asked questions and if he lies
find himself in jail.

If he indicts a firmer president on a parti...

See more
Reply 105 Share

Donna H
11 hours ago

Excellent comment!

Reply 31 Share

Baby Boomer
9 hours ago

and he should plus Trump threatened a massive lawsuit against Bragg. That could be big
rouble for Bragg because of the lack of evidence and most of his DA and ADA’ s are. it
with his political witch-hunt

Reply 10 Share
Show 1 more reply

Nelson Montanino
12 hours ago

I don't like Trump. I much prefer DeSantis. But this is making me want to vote for him.

Reply 96 Share

FloridaFreedom
11 hours ago
Love Trump's policies, despise the man. But I hold my nose and vote for him because it is
only intelligent choice anyone can make. The dems are that far gone.
Reply 104 Share
1 reply

Dennis Lee
12 hours ago

Bragg and his Democrat supporters are doing Trump a favor.

Reply 75 Share
Show 2 more replies

Show More Comments

Powered by Terms Privacy Feedback

76 People Reacted

What's your reaction to this

article?

Top Notch So-so Next!

300 0 3

More Stories
Page Six NYPost

Raquel Leviss, Tom Sandoval have 'heart to heart' Transgender cyclist wins NYC women's race days
in first pics together amid affair after other rider quits in anger

Sections & Features Post Sports+ Newsletters & Feeds Help/Support Apps

News Metro Subscribe Email Newsletters About New York Post iPhone App
Sports Sports Betting Articles RSS Feeds Customer Service iPad App
Business Opinion Manage NY Post Official Store App FAQ & Help Android Phone
Entertainment Fashion & Beauty Community Guidelines Android Tablet
Home Delivery
Shopping Lifestyle
Contact Us Advertise
Real Estate Media Subscribe
Tech Health Manage Subscription Tips Self Service
Travel Astrology Newsroom Media Kit
Video Photos Delivery Help Letters to the Editor Contact
Visual Stories Alexa Reprints
Covers Horoscopes Careers
Sports Odds Podcasts Vulnerability Disclosure Program
Columnists Classifieds

© 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Terms of Use Membership Terms Privacy Notice Sitemap
Your California Privacy Rights Do Not Sell My Personal Information