Billionaire Knicks proprietor James Dolan revealed he’s the “secret billionaire” backing unbiased candidate Diana Florence’s bid to oust Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg — because the ex-prosecutor vowed she’ll get powerful on repeat offenders.
“We’ve heard from the start, from Mr. Bragg, that Diana has a secret billionaire supporter — right here I’m,” Dolan stated in an unique interview alongside Florence at Madison Sq. Backyard Monday afternoon.
“We’re totally supporting Diana’s candidacy due to what’s occurred the final 4 years, and what we’ve seen right here,” he advised The Publish, referring to “violent crimes” he stated have occurred on the streets outdoors the world-famous Midtown enviornment.
Florence, a veteran of the Manhattan DA’s Workplace who spent 25 years as a prosecutor, is “the correct individual” to convey down metropolis crime, the MSG CEO stated.
“There’s a higher method than what Alvin Bragg has accomplished, which is principally give up our streets to recidivists,” Florence, who joined Dolan at MSG, charged.
She highlighted high quality of life points and the necessity to push for judges to have the discretion to lock up “the very small however very intense” variety of repeat offenders busted repeatedly on misdemeanor raps.
Dolan — who runs a number of tremendous PACs related along with his MSG companies — has been pumping money into Florence’s election for a number of months, AM New York reported in July.
“I’m the key billionaire supporter,” he admitted Monday.
Requested why he wasn’t backing Bragg’s Republican challenger Maud Maron, Dolan defined it’s unlikely a GOP candidate could be elected in deep-blue Manhattan.
“Manhattan, the borough, is rarely going to vote in a Republican. So I couldn’t go along with the Republican,” he stated.
“Diana was the correct individual to do it. It’s simply studying the tea leaves, proper? If we would like change, Diana can convey us change.”
Echoing her marketing campaign rhetoric, Florence, who’s operating on an unbiased “Safer Manhattan” poll line within the November election, referred to as Bragg’s tenure as DA since 2022 an “appalling” delicate on crime catastrophe.
“We stroll on our streets and we see folks doing medication, exposing themselves, with no penalties,” she stated, additionally highlighting shops which have begun locking up their items to discourage shoplifters.
“I’ve lived in New York since 1995. They didn’t do this till Bragg got here,” she stated.
Florence additionally addressed her resignation from the DA’s Workplace in 2020, which got here amid allegations she withheld incriminating proof in opposition to key witnesses in circumstances she was dealing with.
She dismissed the allegations as a “discovery mistake” introduced on by legislation modifications in 2020, and stated she needed to give up as a result of she “wasn’t given any assist” from the workplace, then led by DA Cyrus Vance.
“I made a mistake. I acknowledged it, and that was it. I’ve a 25 12 months document of combating for New Yorkers, and that’s why I’m right here,” she stated.
Florence, who misplaced out on the Dem nomination to Bragg within the 2021 race — which ended with the DA besting Republican opponent Thomas Kenniff — first got here on Dolan’s radar this summer time, the billionaire businessman stated.
He defined that the crime and hazard his workers and clients confronted coming to and from MSG satisfied him change was wanted within the borough’s high prosecutor’s workplace.
“I get stories on a regular basis: workers, clients, and so on. It’s dangerous 4 blocks away. They get held up. It’s not good for my enterprise,” Dolan stated.
Bragg has already begun utilizing Dolan’s endorsement of Florence to push marketing campaign fundraising, sending texts Monday studying “a billionaire-backed tremendous PAC is airing deceptive adverts about this race.”
“If we don’t report a robust exhibiting, that tremendous PAC, my opponents, and 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 far-right teams making an attempt to undermine my work might begin weighing in,” the texts learn.
Bragg’s marketing campaign spokesman stated the DA was “an sincere, principled, skilled prosecutor” — charging that Florence resigned “in shame” and that she created a “poisonous work surroundings internally” on the DA’s Workplace.
“[Bragg] has helped cut back shootings in Manhattan by 66%, launched new psychological well being outreach to get folks assist, stood up for victims, and held the highly effective accountable,” marketing campaign rep Richard Fife stated.
“No quantity of particular curiosity cash from Florence’s wealthy, highly effective patrons or marketing campaign rhetoric will have the ability to disguise her scandal-scarred historical past, or distort Alvin Bragg’s profitable document of delivering the protection we’d like, the equity we deserve, and one normal of justice for all,” he stated.
