Partisan Bickering, Outbursts Interrupt House Judiciary Committee's Hearing in New York
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee convened a contentious hearing in New York about crime in the city and the policies of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a forum that was beset by partisan squabbling over the recent indictment of former PresidentDonald Trump.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio), the committee's chairman, started the hearing Monday by blaming Mr. Bragg for crime in New York City. During his campaign for office, Mr. Bragg, a Democrat, advocated for progressive approaches to prosecutions, promoting alternatives to incarceration for some offenders. Arrests for major crimes increased by 22% in 2022 compared with 2021, according to New York Police Department data, though officials said rates have fallen in recent months.
“Fairness under the law is a bedrock principle of American democracy,” Mr. Jordan said. “Here in Manhattan, the scales of justice are weighed down by politics.”
Democratic officials denounced the event as a sham and said it was part of an attempt to smear Mr. Bragg after his office earlier this month charged Donald Trump in connection with a scheme to bolster his 2016 presidential campaign by paying hush money to suppress potentially damaging sexual allegations. Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty and has denied the sexual allegations.
In a statement, a representative for Mr. Bragg’s office said the hearing was a “political stunt” and said the rates of major crime had decreased in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period last year. The office noted last week that New York had fewer homicides per capita in 2022 than Columbus, Ohio, near Mr. Jordan’s district.
“Ending violence, stopping crime and supporting victims and their families are the most sacred duties of the Manhattan DA’s office,” the statement said. “DA Bragg is reducing crime in Manhattan, reversing a tough spike that began before he even took office.”
The committee heard testimony from Democratic City Councilmember Robert Holden, the head of the detectives’ union, a gun-control advocate and several people who were crime victims or are related to crime victims.
The hearing lasted roughly four hours and brought another spectacle to lower Manhattan, not far from the courtroom where Mr. Trump was arraigned. People barred from entering the hearing chanted in the hallway of the federal building where it was held. Democratic members on the Judiciary Committee suggested the hearing be moved to Ohio. Many Democrats said the hearing was pointless because federal officials don’t have jurisdiction over local policies.
“I’m reminded of the character in ‘Succession,’ the late Logan Roy, who said, ‘You are not serious people.’ If you are serious about doing something about violence, gun violence, other violence, please join us,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean (D., Pa.).
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) said he didn’t want to insult any New Yorkers because he expected they might soon move to his state of Florida. Republican members said they were lifting up victims and asked them to describe how they felt less safe living in the city.
“To the good people of New York, we hear you.…We hope your local leaders will hear from you as well,” said Rep. Russell Fry (R., S.C.), who cited a conversation he said he had with a taxi driver who complained about elevated crime.
Democrats pushed for tougher federal gun-control laws, including universal background checks and an assault weapons ban.
Rep. Hank Johnson (D., Ga.) said the witnesses “served as props in a MAGA Broadway production.” The comment prompted one of several audience outbursts that led Mr. Jordan to bang the gavel for order. One man, who said he supported Mr. Jordan’s efforts, was later removed from the audience by Mr. Jordan after an outburst.
In March, Mr. Jordan and two other Republican committee chairs requested documents related to the district attorney’s investigation of the former president, saying they needed the information for oversight purposes.
After Mr. Trump was indicted, Mr. Jordan subpoenaed Mark Pomerantz, who resigned from Mr. Bragg’s office last year and published a book this year about his work on the Trump investigation. Mr. Bragg sued Mr. Jordan in federal court to block the subpoena, and a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Mr. Pomerantz on Monday said in court papers that he supported Mr. Bragg’s efforts to block the subpoena.
Mr. Bragg said in court papers that the subpoena was a “brazen and unconstitutional attack” that illegitimately interfered in Mr. Trump’s case. Mr. Jordan said during a radio interview Monday morning that Congress had broad jurisdiction in its oversight functions.
Since taking office in January of last year, Mr. Bragg has said he would give priority to violent crime, including gun trafficking, but took a more lenient stance on lower-level cases, saying he would instruct prosecutors to avoid seeking jail time. He has also said not all cases involving gun possession merit harsh sentences.
Mayor Eric Adams, speaking at a press conference before the hearing, said neither he nor any member of the NYPD or his administration had been asked to testify. “Let the DA do his job, and that is the job that he’s doing,” said Mr. Adams, a Democrat.
Mr. Jordan said during the hearing that the committee would hold additional hearings in other cities. “We’ll go wherever we need to go,” he said.
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Here are the victim's family members, whom the POS Hank Johnson called "props."
Witnesses at the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing in New York.
PHOTO: JOHN MINCHILLO/ASSOCIATED PRESS
One of them was a 71 year old New Yorker who said he never has seen the crime so bad.
gee, the timing of this house rwnj NYC road show doesn't seem suspicious at all. /s
That's the dems talking point. They were roundly booed yesterday by victims who went to watch the hearing.
I guess being threatened with a house subpoena from somebody that doesn't honor them himself wasn't going to work out so well, huh?
Jordan may end up criminally charged in New York State for illegally interfering in a New York State criminal case!
Yeah, the dems are just as partisan as the republicans in this matter. These hearings are clearly an attack against Bragg. While looking from the outside (after all I don't live in NYC) it would sure seem that Bragg is following a faulty idea with how he is conducting his business, but these hearings are clearly an attack on Bragg. Would these hearings still take place if he wasn't trying Trump? Somehow I doubt that Washington would have gone to NYC just for this if Trump wasn't involved.
While Bragg's fucked up attempt at being a DA is clearly wrong, isn't that really up to the voters who elected him? I feel there are more important things for Washington to be doing instead of this.
I hope they try. Make it clear the New York Justice System is simply the activist arm of the Democratic Party. Talk about fascism in action.
that POS jordan should have been arrested at the airport for breaking NY law. give him a little slumber party, some breakfast, a quick shower with the guys (like he used to watch years before) and arraignment before his trip back to DC.
You enjoy THAT fantasy!
NY is not even in the top 15 US cities for crime!
And how many of those are Democrat Bastions of stupidity?
Memphis, TN
Detroit, MI
St Louis, MO
Cleveland, OH
Milwaukee, WI
Kansas City, MO
San Bernardino, CA
Albuquerque, NM
New Orleans, LA
Oakland, CA
Thank you for proving that Democrats love criminals!
Bragg is a POS; and so are the Democrats that went there to do nothing but defend him and blame the victims of his piss poor charge and prosecution rate.
Hard to have crimes when laws aren't enforced. Why would you even bother to call the police unless you are documenting a crime for insurance purposes?
Why voters see the gop as dishonest / hypocritical!
Tell it to your fellow New Yorkers.
Here's one for you:
Two million people fled America’s big cities from 2020 to 2022
https://thehill.com/homenews/3944865-two-million-people-fled-americas-big-cities-from-2020-to-2022/#:~:text=Two%20million%20people%20fled%20America%E2%80%99s%20largest%20cities%20from,hardened%20into%20an%20enduring%20and%20potentially%20worrisome%20trend.
They post pictures and run away.
This is why at 8:30 AM there is only one other person here.
Putting half the place on ignore also contributed to it. You all did a fine job.
Vic , no one is afraid of you or your arguments. You have seen that here a million times but you keep puffing yourself up.
Not when you live in denial.
I guess they should have held this hearing in 2022 then. The country is laughing at Jim Jordan.
The next hearing is likely to be held in Chicago
Mr. Johnson quickly added.. "and we need to get off this island before it capsizes from all these buildings".
LOL