New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday voiced irritation with former President Trump’s renewed presence in the city for legal proceedings and Republicans’ depiction of Manhattan as dangerous place that disregards victims’ rights, Politico reports. Adams criticized House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Oh.) for focusing a hearing on New York City when “crime in congressional Republican areas per capita is through the roof.” “We thought that we were in a good place because [Trump] was in Florida and, you know, he didn’t tie up our city,” Adams said. “Now, he’s going to be back here often.” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a darling of progressive Democrats for his criminal justice reform policies, has drawn the ire of House Republicans, who say the prosecutor should focus on violent offenders instead of Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush money scheme. They plan to hold a “field hearing” in New York City next week on violent crime.
The hearing is the latest move by House Republicans to pressure Bragg, who is pursuing 34 felony charges accusing Trump of falsifying business records to bury damaging allegations of an extramarital affair during the height of the 2016 presidential campaign. The House GOP subpoenaed a former Manhattan prosecutor who criticized aspects of Bragg’s investigation. Bragg sued to block the subpoena, calling the move a “campaign of harassment.” The House Judiciary Committee’s scheduled hearing on violent crime pledges to “examine how Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s pro-crime, anti-victim policies have led to an increase in violent crime and a dangerous community for New York City residents.”