DONORS BY THE BRAGG-FUL
Anti-Trump bump to DA's elex fund: $850K
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg collected a cool $850,000 in donations after indicting former President Donald Trump last March, with powerful Democrats and left-leaning labor unions cheering on the prosecution with their wallets, records show.
In the most recent filing period, Bragg’s reelection campaign received $481,203 in donations from July 12, 2023, through Jan. 12, $100,000 more than the $374,785 raised in the prior six months.
The political action committee of state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat who has been criticized for championing soft-on-crime policies such as the cashless bail law, gave $1,000, records show.
Democratic-allied unions also showered Bragg’s campaign with donations: including $15,000 from the New York Hotel Trades Council; $5,000 apiece from the United Federation of Teachers and Local 32BJ representing building workers; $2,500 from the Bricklayers and Allied Craft workers; and $1,500 from the NYS Nurses Association, according to campaign records filed with the state Board of Elections.
New York generosity
A first-term Democratic incumbent, Bragg is up for re-election next year. He had a cash balance of $833,819 in his campaign kitty, a haul first reported by Newsweek on Monday.
Most of his contributions came from New York residents, mainly well-heeled donors who reside in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Mega-Democratic Party donor Lisa Minsky-Primus, a New York doctor and philanthropist who runs a foundation looking to “protect democracy,” donated $25,000 to Bragg in September.
Bragg also scored with wealthy financiers. Richard Cashin, the chairman of One Equity Partners, the private-equity investment unit of JP Morgan Chase, donated $25,000, while investment banker Ronald Blaylock, founder of GenNx360 Capital Partners, gave $10,000, records show.
Democratic political insiders said Bragg has been low-key and not going out of his way to raise campaign dough off his prosecution of Trump, unlike state Attorney General Letitia James and others.
But the observers also note that Bragg and his campaign treasury have benefitted anyway because the case — accusing Trump of falsifying business records to hide alleged hush-money payment to ex-porn star Stormy Daniels — has raised his profile.
“There are others who have used the Trump indictments to raise money. Bragg has not done that,” said Democratic campaign consultant Chris Coffey.
“Having said that, the Trump trial has Bragg raised his profile. I’m sure that gave him a boost in donations,” added Coffey.
Democratic strategist Eric Koch noted the fact that about 70% of Bragg’s donations came from New York, showing “that even as someone who is on the national stage he’s also got a lot of local support.”
He said Bragg has handled the “drama” of the Trump case “incredibly well.”
‘Flimsy case’
But former Republican Sen. Al D’Amato said the decision to prosecute a former president in what he and other critics consider
'Bragg is now known as the DA in the country who is taking on Trump. He’s doing all he can to get publicity.'
— former United States Sen. Al D’Amato (R-NY)
a flimsy case speaks volumes.
“Bragg is now known as the DA in the country who is taking on Trump. He’s doing all he can to get publicity for bringing the case,” said D’Amato.
“He’s solidifying his political base in New York by going after Trump. The whole thing is political. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Bragg’s campaign insisted it did not do any serious fundraising until June of last year, and did not promote the Trump case.
A campaign rep Monday said Bragg is focusing on his job.
“New Yorkers are embracing Alvin Bragg’s comprehensive agenda to keep Manhattan safe that includes working with law enforcement to target those driving violent crime and increasing gun prosecutions by more than 20%,” said campaign rep Richard Fife.
He said Bragg has rolled out mental health programs and created a division to help survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, while connecting young people with jobs and programs.
“These plans are getting results: as the New York Post reported this week, New York City has seen a 15% dip in killings in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year.”