Gentle-on-crime Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg accepted free tickets value a minimum of $21,500 to attend 20 posh black-tie fundraisers and different galas final yr — many thrown by lefty organizations doing enterprise with town.
13 of the 20 occasions have been hosted by nonprofits and different organizations that maintain metropolis contracts.
A lot of the tickets have been valued between $1,000 and almost $5,000 every, with a number of that includes sports activities, Hollywood, and music celebrities, in keeping with Bragg’s 2025 monetary disclosure types filed with town’s Conflicts of Curiosity Board and made public this week.
The 2025 occasions included:
- An April 8 “Paths to Progress” gala at Ziegfeld Ballroom for the Vera Institute of Justice, whose mission is ending “mass incarceration.” The group’s annual dinner helps increase cash to “reform the felony, authorized and immigration methods,” in keeping with its web site.
- The Robin Hood Basis’s Could 12 profit at Javits Middle, which was hosted ex-Giants star and “Good Morning America” co-host Michael Strahan and likewise included musical performances by The Weeknd and singer and “Household Man” creator Seth MacFarlane. Tickets ran $3,000 to $5,000 a pop and paid attendees — in contrast to Bragg — helped increase $72 million for New Yorkers dwelling in poverty.
- Phoenix Home’s annual soiree in Midtown on Could 1 honoring previous alumni of the nonprofit for his or her restoration from substance abuse. Featured visitors included Gov. Kathy Hochul and “American Pie” actor Jason Biggs.
The seven 2025 occasions not thrown by teams with metropolis enterprise included the April 2 “Keepers of the Dream” awards dinner for Rev. Al Sharpton’s civil rights group Nationwide Motion Community, which holds loads of clout with New York Democratic pols; and a Nov. 11 gala for LatinoJustice, which is among the many plaintiffs in an ongoing federal lawsuit attempting to abolish the NYPD’s gang database.
Bragg — a Democrat who’s has been slammed by critics since taking up as DA in 2022 for villainizing victims whereas going straightforward on suspects — reported his ticket totals have been value within the vary of $21,500 to almost $138,000.
By comparability, Bronx DA Darcel Clark disclosed in her submitting that she attended seven occasions final yr as presents value a mixed $1,300 to almost $11,000; Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez reported attending 4 valued at a mixed $2,500 to $11,300; and Queens DA Melinda Katz and Staten Island DA Michael McMahon reported no such freebies.
Bragg didn’t report attending any occasions as free presents in his monetary disclosure statements throughout his first two years in workplace, however The Publish beforehand reported he attended 17 galas in 2024 the place the tickets he was comped have been value within the vary of $9,400 to almost $53,000.
“Alvin Bragg has spent extra time rubbing elbows with the political elite than locking up criminals,” mentioned ex-Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens).
“The Manhattan District Legal professional needs to be centered on imposing the regulation, not accumulating free VIP tickets from organizations with enterprise earlier than town. On the very least, it creates the looks of a battle, and that’s one thing the highest prosecutor ought to keep away from.”
Bragg spokesperson Danielle Filson dismissed any criticism, and pointed to a 62% decline in shootings and 74% drop in murders in Manhattan since her boss took workplace.
