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Introduction
In the current case against ex-President Donald Trump for hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has faced challenges.
The media attention on the case has been high, and Bragg seems to be struggling with his preparation and presentation.
Bragg’s Unpreparedness for High-Profile Case: Bragg should have anticipated that a high-profile case against a former president would bring media attention.
However, he appears to have been unprepared, as he canceled the grand-jury session for the second day.
He is now trying to arrange a mystery witness to rebut testimony from a pro-Trump lawyer who may have swayed enough jurors to put the case at risk.
Sources indicate that Bragg is finding it hard to get this person to testify or having trouble finding someone to say what’s needed.
Weaknesses in the Case: The case already suffered from relying on Michael Cohen, a proven liar, as a star witness, and an untested and complex legal argument.
Trump’s alleged misdemeanour offense of falsifying business records to conceal the payment to Daniels becomes a felony as a federal campaign-finance violation, which the US Justice Department, the Federal Election Commission, and Bragg’s predecessor, Cy Vance, declined to pursue.
Trump can say he paid the hush money to protect his marriage, not his campaign.
Bragg’s case seems weakened further by Costello’s testimony and the DA’s unpreparedness.
Questions about Bragg’s Competence: Bragg’s unpreparedness raises questions about his competence.
Did he take the case to the grand jury because he was angry at Trump, or did he have new evidence?
Did he feel he needed to risk having Costello testify because the case was weak?
Is he only now catching on to how hopeless his case is?
Bragg’s Other Challenges: Bragg has been facing other challenges since his first day on the job, with his Day One memo ordering prosecutors to stand down on charging a host of crimes.
He has barely changed course on that, even though Manhattan crime continues to soar.
Bragg’s inability to address the rising crime rate in Manhattan and his handling of this high-profile case against Trump have highlighted his lack of competence.
Conclusion
Bragg’s struggles with this high-profile case against Trump have raised questions about his competence and ability to handle such cases.
His unpreparedness and lack of adequate preparation have led to delays and challenges in the case.
This, coupled with his inability to address rising crime rates in Manhattan, has questioned his competence.