Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to attendees during the National Action Network National Convention in New York, April 7, 2022.
Eduardo Munoz | Reuters
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sent an email to his staff Saturday assuring them that their safety is “top priority” after former President Donald Trump called on his supporters to protest over his supposedly imminent indictment.
“We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York,” Bragg said in the memo, which was obtained by NBC News from a senior official at the Manhattan DA’s office.
Bragg’s office has been investigating Trump’s connection with a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels during his first run for president in 2016. In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said that he expects to be arrested Tuesday, citing leaks from the “corrupt” DA’s office. He urged his supporters to protest on his behalf.
“THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK,” Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social early Saturday morning. “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”
Supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump gather outside his Mar-a-Lago resort after he posted a message on his Truth Social account saying that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday, and called on his supporters to protest, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. March 19, 2023.
Marco Bello | Reuters
A grand jury has been hearing testimony related to the 2016 payoff at the state Criminal Court in lower Manhattan, but no public announcements have been made about when or if Trump will be indicted. Law enforcement agencies across New York have been making security arrangements in the case that the former president is criminally charged.
Bragg’s email did not reference Trump or his comments directly, but he reassured staffers that he is “committed to maintaining a safe work environment.” The email was first reported by Politico. Bragg said his office will continue to coordinate with officials at the New York Police Department and the Office of Court Administration.
“Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment,” Bragg wrote.
