Who is Alvin Bragg? Meet the attorney who will become the first prosecutor to charge a former president

Ken Tran, USA TODAY

April 5, 2023 at 2:34 AM·3 min read

Donald Trump will be arraigned Tuesday in a historic moment for the country as Trump becomes the first former president to ever be indicted. All eyes are on the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who will become the first prosecutor to ever criminally charge a former president.

Bragg is scheduled to detail the charges against Trump at a press conference at 3:30 p.m. The charges are expected to relate to hush-money payments meant to silence two women in the days before the 2016 election.

Here's what to know about Bragg as the high-stakes case for Trump moves into a new phase.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg leaves his office as the grand jury continues to hear evidence against former President Donald Trump on March 22, 2023 in New York City.

What is Alvin Bragg’s background?

Bragg was born in Manhattan, New York and grew up in Harlem. He attended Trinity School before earning a bachelor’s degree in government at Harvard College and later a law degree at Harvard Law School.

Bragg previously served as both a New York state and federal prosecutor. He made history in November 2021 when he became the first Black person elected as Manhattan District Attorney.

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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press conference after the sentencing hearing of the Trump Organization at the New York Supreme Court on January 13, 2023 in New York City.

Why was Trump indicted?

Trump is expected to face multiple criminal charges including charges relating to falsification of business records in connection with hush-money payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, two women who claimed to have had sex with Trump. Trump directed his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, to make the payments in the days before the 2016 election.

Trump and his legal team have denied wrongdoing and plan to fight the charges.

Opinion: Between sketchy witnesses and the law, case comes up short.

Opinion: Donald Trump wants you to think he's constantly the victim. Maybe he's just a bad dude.

What happened with Bragg and Trump?

This isn’t Bragg’s first time dealing with Trump.

His office made headlines last December when it successfully convicted two of Trump’s companies on all charges over a criminal tax fraud scheme. Those two companies were sentenced in January to pay $1.6 million in fines.

After the convictions, Bragg alluded to Trump’s status as a former president, saying the verdict “underscores that here in Manhattan we have one standard of justice for all.”

Bragg also jointly announced with New York Attorney General Letitia James the indictment of former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon over an alleged fundraising scheme. Bannon plead not guilty and the case is still ongoing.

A doorman stands outside of Trump Tower on March 21, 2023 in New York City. NYC and other cities are bracing for a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in his investigation into the former president's involvement in a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election.

Who is the Manhattan district attorney?

Bragg is known for his progressive approach to crime as Manhattan’s top prosecutor, announcing shortly after the election that his office would not prosecute minor offenses such as fare evasion, resisting arrest and prostitution.

“Growing up in Harlem in the 1980s, I saw every side of the criminal justice system from a young age. Before I was 21 years old, I had a gun pointed at me six times: three by police officers and three by people who were not police officers. I had a knife to my neck, a semi-automatic gun to my head, and a homicide victim on my doorstep,” wrote Bragg in a memo to his office, citing his upbringing as informing his decision making in his new job.

"In large part because of these experiences," he said, "I have dedicated my career to the inextricably linked goals of safety and fairness."