Former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his focus on potentially prosecuting former President Donald Trump and suggested the move is politically motivated.
“I don’t understand why Bragg is putting such an emphasis on this case,” said the former governor told WABC Radio on fridaynight.
“A person is breaking the law, I understand, but on the state side this is a felony case. It really is a federal case because he needs it to be a campaign finance fraud case, which is a federal case and that is what Bragg is going to have to do to make this a felony.”
Cuomo said the public is generally “cynical” and “when they see prosecutors bring these political cases,” “it just confirms everyone’s cynicism.”
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Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
“I think it’s all political and that’s what I think the people of this country are saying,” Cuomo continued. “It just feeds that anger and that cynicism and the partisanship. It’s a coincidence that Bragg goes after Trump and Tish James goes after Trump and Georgia goes after Trump? That’s all a coincidence? I think it feeds the cynicism and that is the cancer in our body politics right now.
Despite the comments about Bragg’s motivation, Cuomo says he believes charges will be filed next week, bringing up the old adage that prosecutors “can sue a ham sandwich” if they want to.
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg at a news conference in New York on Thursday, September 8, 2022. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I’m sure they’ll face charges,” Cuomo said.
Bragg has been widely criticized by Republicans for attempting to sue Trump in connection with the alleged “hush money” payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, which many legal experts have concluded is a weak and politically motivated case.
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the East Palestine Fire Department in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 22, 2023 (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
Top House Republicans have issued a letter demanding that Bragg testify before Congress about the indictment and turn over documents related to the case warning that the indictment “could erode confidence in the impartial administration of justice and would invariably may interfere in the court of the 2024 presidential election.”
Bragg’s office defiantly responded to that letter, saying that “we will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we be deterred by unfounded allegations from applying the law fairly.”
Bragg sent a letter to Republicans saying their investigation was “an unlawful encroachment on New York’s sovereignty.”
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Republicans pushed back to that letter with another letter on Saturday claiming their actions have a legislative purpose and pointing out that Bragg has not denied their allegations that the case is politically motivated.
Bragg’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].
