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Progressive Criminal-Justice Groups Silent on Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s Bodega-Worker Murder Charge
Bragg charged a bodega worker with murder despite video evidence that he acted in self-defense in fatally stabbing his attacker.
Criminal-justice groups that pledged support for Alvin Bragg in 2021 refused to say whether they still support the Democratic district attorney after he chose to charge a bodega worker with murder despite compelling video evidence that the Dominican immigrant was acting in self-defense when he fatally stabbed his attacker.
Bragg charged 61-year-old Jose Alba with second-degree murder and sent the cashier to Riker’s Island for several days after Alba fatally stabbed Austin Simon, a 35-year-old black man. Video evidence obtained by the New York Post shows Simon cornering Alba in his workplace and violently shoving him against a wall after his girlfriend’s credit card was rejected while she was attempting to buy a bag of chips. After Austin shoved Alba into the wall, the two men wrestled until Alba stabbed Simon repeatedly and sustained a knife wound himself.
Bragg, who promised to bring “justice” to New York City — in part by ending cash bail — has been under fire for charging Alba and initially setting his bail at $500,000. Alba’s bail was lowered to $50,000 after negotiations and blowback from the community, and he was released on a $5,000 bail bond.
Bodega workers called on Bragg to drop all charges against Alba at a press conference at City Hall on Wednesday.
Fransisco Marte, the president of the Bodega and Small Business Group, said Alba “was a victim in this incident and should never have been charged.” Marie put up his house to cover Alba’s bail.
“[Alba] became a citizen of this country, and in all those years was never involved in a crime,” Marte added.
Frank Garcia, the head of the National Association of Latino State Chamber of Commerce, explicitly said Bragg deserves to be removed from office if he does not drop the charges. Bragg said he was “absolutely” considering that course of action when he met with a group of bodega owners on Tuesday, according to owners who attended the meeting, though he had yet to take that step as of Friday.
Democratic Mayor Eric Adams has also publicly stated support for Alba.
“I believe there’s far too many cases where we’re spending time defending people who commit crimes. I’m going to defend New Yorkers who are doing the right things,” Adams said in an interview on WABC Radio.
Color of Change PAC, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, according to its website, pledged over $1 million dollars and endorsed Bragg during his campaign, which was defined by his pledge to make the criminal-justice system more accommodative of criminality in the name of racial equity.
“Alvin Bragg has the experience to run this critical office and the commitment to reform the criminal-justice system to make New York safer and more just for everyone,” said Rashad Robinson, spokesperson for the Color Of Change PAC in the 2021 endorsement.
When asked if the organization still supports Bragg after his charging decision in the Alba case, a representative for Color of Change PAC refused to answer National Review and said that “Unfortunately, no one is available to speak at this time.”
Vera Institute of Justice, an organization working to “end mass incarceration,” endorsed Bragg in 2021, saying it expected him to make progress in “justice” and “safety.”
“We need DA Bragg’s clear vision for the prosecutor’s role—where justice and safety go hand in hand—and expect the Manhattan DA’s office to serve as an accountable partner in the fight to end mass incarceration,” Vera wrote in its endorsement.
Vera did not respond to multiple inquiries, asking if the organization still stood behind its endorsement of Bragg.
The list of prominent Bragg-endorsers who refused to respond to a request for comment include: former U.S. attorney Preet Bharara; Democratic New York Rep. Jerry Nadler; Reverend Calvin O. Butts; Dan Goldman, who served as House Impeachment Inquiry Lead against Donald Trump; Democratic New York State Senator Robert Jackson; and Democratic New York state Assemblywoman Inez Dickens.
The Arena, an organization working to elect more underrepresented people into office, also did not answer when asked if they stood by their endorsement.
Only one of the eleven prominent progressive groups and individuals asked by National Review whether they continue to support Bragg responded in the affirmative.
A representative for The Collective PAC, an organization dedicated to electing electing black leaders into office and “building black political power,” said that it “continues to unequivocally support DA Alvin Bragg.”
“In our endorsement, we made clear that we believe he would play an important role in bringing transparency, accountability, and compassion to the office and in just six months on the job, Alvin has rewarded the trust we put in him to lead at this critical time,” The Collective PAC’s statement continued.