Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is at the center of a new Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint.
America First Legal claims Bragg coordinated with President Joe Biden's campaign to sway the 2024 election.
Washington Examiner reported that the complaint, filed by America First Legal (AFL), accuses Bragg of making an in-kind contribution to Biden’s campaign by prosecuting former President Donald Trump.
The AFL's complaint, filed with the FEC, targets Bragg and Biden’s campaign committee, Biden for President. According to the complaint, Bragg’s prosecution of Trump constitutes a “coordinated expenditure” under the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). AFL claims this act amounts to an in-kind contribution to Biden’s campaign that surpasses the $3,300 per election limit.
The Biden campaign is also accused of failing to disclose this alleged contribution, violating FEC regulations. FECA prohibits making aggregate contributions to a candidate’s authorized committee in excess of a specified amount.
Central to the complaint is Bragg's hiring of prosecutor Matthew Colangelo in December 2022. Colangelo previously held senior roles in the Biden Justice Department and the New York Attorney General’s office, which had conducted investigations into Trump. Before joining the Biden DOJ, Colangelo contributed to Bragg’s district attorney campaign.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote a letter to the House Judiciary Committee stating that a search for email communications showed no indication of coordination between Bragg and Biden's campaign. The AFL complaint asserts that Bragg’s prosecution was intended to harm Trump’s 2024 candidacy and would not have occurred if Trump were not a candidate.
The DOJ conducted a comprehensive search for email communications from January 2021 through the day Trump was convicted. This search included all DOJ leadership employees, including Biden’s political appointees. In a communication to the House Judiciary Committee, the DOJ indicated no evidence of coordination between Bragg and Biden’s campaign.
“We found none. This is unsurprising,” the DOJ wrote to the House Judiciary Committee. AFL, however, remains steadfast in its allegations.
“With the lawfare before the FEC against candidate and former President Donald Trump, it is important that the FEC take a hard look at the relationship between President Biden, his administration, and his political committees and the New York County DA’s Office’s political prosecution of the former President during a campaign year,” said Dan Epstein, vice president of AFL.
The complaint suggests serious violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act, emphasizing the alleged in-kind contribution from Bragg to Biden’s campaign. If proven, these actions could lead to significant legal consequences for both Bragg and the Biden campaign.
The accusations come amid a contentious political climate, with Trump’s 2024 candidacy looming over the proceedings. AFL's complaint aims to shed light on what it perceives as political maneuvering intended to influence the upcoming election.
Bragg and the Biden campaign have yet to make a public statement regarding the allegations. The complaint's outcomes and subsequent investigations could have profound implications for the 2024 presidential race. The AFL continues to press for a thorough examination of the alleged coordination between Bragg and the Biden campaign. The complaint has brought national attention to the potential legal breaches and the intricate connections between political figures.
