Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. is an American politician and attorney serving as the District Attorney of New York County, including Manhattan. In 2021, he became the first African American elected to this position. Bragg previously served as the Chief Deputy Attorney General of New York and as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Learn more about the 37th District Attorney, the first African American in the history of the office. More on manhattanyes.com.
Early Life and Education
Alvin Leonard Bragg Jr. was born in New York City on October 21, 1973. A native of Harlem, he grew up on Striver’s Row. In an interview with The American Prospect, Bragg candidly shared how the criminal justice system left a profound impression on him, recalling being held at gunpoint by NYPD officers multiple times.
He graduated from Trinity School and went on to attend Harvard College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in Government in 1995. In 1999, he received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.
Legal Career
Bragg clerked for federal district judge Robert P. Patterson Jr. before joining the law firm Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello as an attorney. There, he focused on fraud cases involving white-collar workers and civil law. In 2003, he joined the New York State Attorney General’s Office under Eliot Spitzer, later becoming chief of litigation and investigations at the New York City Council. In 2009, Bragg left the council to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
In 2017, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman appointed Bragg as the Chief Deputy Attorney General of New York. He oversaw the Criminal Justice and Social Justice Divisions and led lawsuits against the Trump Foundation, Harvey Weinstein, and efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census.
Bragg left the Attorney General’s Office in December 2018 to become a professor at New York Law School, where he co-directed the Racial Justice Project. He also served on the board of directors for the Legal Aid Society and represented the families of Ramarley Graham and Eric Garner in civil cases against New York City.
District Attorney
In June 2019, Bragg announced his candidacy for Manhattan District Attorney, a position then held by Cyrus Vance Jr., who opted not to seek re-election. After the Democratic primary on June 22, 2021, Bragg emerged as the frontrunner. On July 2, he narrowly defeated former Brooklyn prosecutor Tali Farhadian Weinstein. On November 2, 2021, Bragg defeated Republican candidate Thomas Kenniff in the general election, becoming the first African American elected as Manhattan District Attorney. He was sworn in on January 1, 2022.
Personal Life
Bragg has been married to Jamila Marie Ponton since 2003. They have two children. He has also taught Sunday school at the Abyssinian Baptist Church.
Prosecution of Donald Trump
Bragg’s tenure as District Attorney has been marked by high-profile investigations, including those involving former President Donald Trump. In February 2022, lead prosecutors Carey R. Dunne and Mark F. Pomerantz resigned, citing Bragg’s reluctance to move forward with indicting Trump. In their resignation letter, Pomerantz stated that the investigative team believed Trump had committed crimes, including falsifying business records, and called the lack of prosecution “a grave failure of justice.”
In November 2022, The New York Times reported that Bragg’s office had “accelerated its criminal investigation” into Trump’s alleged hush-money payments to an adult film actress. By January 2023, Bragg confirmed that the investigation was ongoing, and on March 30, Trump was indicted. This marked the first time a former U.S. president had faced criminal charges in American history.
A Career Rooted in Justice
Recognizing that criminal behavior often stems from unmet social needs, Bragg established the “Pathways to Public Safety” Division. Pathways ADAs assess cases early on to explore alternatives like mental health treatment, substance abuse programs, cognitive-behavioral therapy, education, and vocational training. This approach aims to reduce recidivism and enhance Manhattan’s safety.
A staunch advocate for accountability, Bragg secured a six-count indictment against Stephen K. Bannon and WeBuildTheWall, Inc., for money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud in a scheme that defrauded donors of over $15 million. He also prosecuted Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg on 15 counts related to a tax evasion scheme. Additionally, Bragg created a housing and tenant protection unit to combat landlord fraud and vowed to prosecute employers engaging in wage theft and unsafe labor practices.