Attorney General Ashley Moody, supported by Iowa, Alaska, and Montana, filed an amicus brief to halt New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Attorney General Ashley Moody filed an amicus brief on Wednesday in support of Missouri’s legal challenge against New York’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Joined by Iowa, Alaska, and Montana, the brief argues that New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution is politically motivated and should be paused until after the 2024 presidential election. The brief points to several actions by Bragg that suggest political motivations, including his campaign promises to investigate Trump, hosting a fundraiser with a lawyer involved in Trump’s impeachment, and facing backlash after initially expressing doubts about the case, which the document notes led to the resignation of two senior attorneys in Bragg’s office.
The brief seeks to halt the prosecution and ensure that the legal process is not used to influence electoral outcomes.
“Never before has a presidential candidate for a major party been prosecuted by a state during a Presidential election,” the brief reads. “Missouri contends that this Court should step in to delay this politically motivated prosecution until after the election to thwart its apparent purpose to interfere with the election. That is a serious contention, and this Court has a constitutional and statutory obligation to adjudicate it.”
The brief further argues that the Supreme Court has a constitutional duty to hear disputes between states, citing Article III of the U.S. Constitution.
Moody described Bragg’s actions as a misuse of state authority intended to influence the election.
“Alvin Bragg’s calculated persecution of a political rival is unprecedented and dangerous to American democracy,” said Moody. “Bragg is running his office as an extension of the DNC — prosecuting Trump in bad faith, all in an effort to deliver victory to his political party in November.”