The hearing comes after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg drew fire from Republicans for bringing up former President Donald Trump on a 34-count indictment.
House Republicans ( Photo: ABC News )
House Republicans have staged a hearing in New York City to call attention to what they say is a local crime crisis
Among the witnesses at the hearing were victims of violent crime and advocates for victim rights who told lawmakers that Bragg’s policies had made the city more dangerous. Republican Rep. Jim Jordan convened the House Judiciary Committee at the Jacob Javits Federal Building in Manhattan, just around the block from Bragg’s office.
However, Democrats have called the hearing a “political stunt” aimed at protecting Trump. Bragg’s record as district attorney has been a frequent target of Republicans, but the issue intensified in recent weeks over his prosecution of Trump. Jordan has emerged as one of Bragg’s biggest foes on Capitol Hill as he leads a congressional probe into Bragg’s investigation of Trump.
Tensions boiled over last week when Bragg sued Jordan for what he called an “unprecedentedly brazen and unconstitutional attack by members of Congress.” Jordan and the Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee responded Monday to the lawsuit, calling it “extraordinary and unconstitutional” for Bragg to attempt to prevent a witness from complying with a congressional subpoena. Bragg has sued to stop enforcement of a subpoena to Mark Pomerantz, a one-time leader of the criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump.
The Monday committee hearing has prompted fierce debate over crime in Democratic and Republican areas, with each side pointing to various statistics to make its case
New York City Police Department recently announced that violent crime decreased during the first three months of this year, with shootings falling by 23% and homicides falling by 12.7% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year. However, Republicans pointed to a website that provides neighborhood statistics called NeighborhoodScout.com, which showed that the violent crime rate for Manhattan was 5.21 per 1,000 residents, compared to 4.26 for Mansfield — though both cities had higher rates than most U.S. cities.
The GOP caucus of the House Judiciary Committee called the hearing to highlight the surge in crime in New York City, with witnesses testifying that Bragg’s policies had made the city more dangerous. However, Democrats accused Republicans of using the hearing to protect former President Trump, who Bragg recently indicted on 34 counts. Bragg has sued to stop enforcement of a subpoena to Mark Pomerantz, a one-time leader of the criminal investigation into Trump, calling the subpoena and the investigation it resulted from a partisan attempt to “intimidate and attack” the district attorney. The Monday hearing has sparked fierce debate over crime rates in Democratic and Republican areas.
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