Source: Joe Raedle / Getty
As former president Donald Trump is facing the strong possibility of being indicted, three Black prosecutors are notably at the forefront of the fight to hold him accountable for his misdeeds.
On Saturday morning (March 18), Trump declared on social media that he would be indicted as early as Tuesday (March 20), referring to the grand jury being convened in New York investigating his hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels as a violation of election law. His words placed a huge spotlight on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is overseeing the case. Bragg is one of three Black lawmakers, recently spotlighted by Capital B News, who stand out for their efforts to have the former president answer for a slew of alleged crimes.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been steadfast in filing cases through her office against the policies of Trump’s administration. Her office filed a $250 million civil fraud lawsuit against the Trump Organization last September. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office have also dominated national coverage as they are weighing an indictment against Trump and his cronies for attempting to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden in Georgia during the 2020 election. Her meticulous investigation has led observers to speculate that a decision is expected within the next few weeks, and a grand jury has already recommended multiple indictments for his allies.
Each prosecutor carries a long and robust career as well as a reputation for being tough as nails. Their work has earned them the ire of Republicans on the state and federal levels. GOP legislators in Georgia introduced a bill earlier this year that would create a committee to discipline elected local prosecutors or force them out. “I’m tired, and I’m just going to call it how I see it,” Willis said of the bill, noting that the number of minority prosecutors in Georgia went from five to 14 in 2020. “I, quite frankly, think the legislation is racist. I don’t know what other thing to call it.”
Bragg has been severely criticized for his policies since taking office, which are in tune with the movement for more progressive and ethical reform of the criminal justice system. Trump has repeatedly demonized Bragg, calling for his arrest. Bragg has remained silent publicly, but in an internal memo said that his office “will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly.” And James has also been under fire for her investigations into Trump and his affairs with Eric Trump calling her “the most corrupt attorney general in New York History” and “an embarrassment to prosecutors across this country.”
