Ex-Manhattan prosecutor Diana Florence seeks to topple DA Alvin Bragg: The law is a command, not a suggestion

A veteran prosecutor who used to work in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is seeking to topple current DA Alvin Bragg.Diana Florence said she will run on an independent “Safer Manhattan” ballot line against Democrat incumbent Bragg — a longshot bid in the heavily Democratic borough.She ripped Bragg over his infamous “Day One memo” in January 2022 that ordered his prosecutors to stop seeking prison sentences for hordes of criminals and to downgrade felony charges in cases including armed robberies and drug dealing.“The law is a command, not a suggestion,” said Florence, an ADA under former District Attorney Cy Vance.“It’s time to bring common sense back to the District Attorney’s office and leave the politics behind.”But Florence has her own baggage.She resigned from the Manhattan DA’s office in 2020 amid allegations she withheld evidence involving a key witness in several major cases.Maud Maron, a former public defender, is the Republican candidate for Manhattan DA.Bragg also is facing a Democratic primary challenge from former Bronx prosecutor and civil litigator Patrick Timmins.Florence previously ran in the crowded Democratic primary for Manhattan DA in 2021, a race won by Bragg.This time around, she is focusing on his “Day One” memo.Some of those policies were reversed after a thundering backlash.“Manhattan deserves a DA who will take decisive action to restore order and fairness,” she said in a statement.

“My promise is to bring justice to every community — without fear or favor — and make New Yorkers safe at home, safe at work, and safe on the streets.”But Florence also was accused of failing to turn over a potentially damning audio recording in her prosecution of shady construction executives accused of illegally securing millions of dollars in city contracts.A campaign spokesman for Bragg said Florence is unfit to be DA.“Alvin Bragg is an honest, principled, experienced prosecutor who has helped reduce sho...