| | | | |  | | By Julia Marsh, Joseph Spector and Eleonora Francica | Presented by CVS Health | | 
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg participates in a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) | AP | With help from Wesley Parnell Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg doesn’t have a political ax to grind, adviser Phil Walzak told POLITICO’s Erica Orden for her profile of the prosecutor poised to be the first person to ever bring criminal charges against a former president. But Donald Trump, who’s under investigation for a hush-money payment made to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, is painting Bragg as a hyper-partisan prosecutor. “We need a DA focused on doing the job, not weaponizing his office for pursuing political persecutions that are neither wanted or warranted,” Vish Burra, a member of the New York Young Republican Club, said Monday night at a small pro-Trump rally outside Manhattan Criminal Court. An indictment is expected this week and the NYPD held a meeting at its headquarters in lower Manhattan Monday to prepare for what would be a historic event. A tangential legal drama played out Monday afternoon following Trump ally Robert Costello’s testimony before the grand jury. Costello, a former legal adviser to then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen, questioned Cohen’s credibility at a press conference. “If they want to go after Donald Trump and they have solid evidence, so be it. But Michael Cohen is far from solid evidence,” Costello said. He also claimed prosecutors “cherry-picked” emails detailing meetings with Cohen. Less than an hour later, Cohen responded, saying on MSNBC that Costello made “false statements” because of his allegiance to Trump. Cohen has previously testified before the grand jury and while he was awaiting a second call Monday, he said he had not been asked to return this week. The DA’s office was quiet on the dueling witnesses as well as the timing of any charges. But a spokesperson did hit back at Republican committee chairmen who demanded Bragg sit for an immediate interview about what they viewed as a politically motivated prosecution. “We will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we let baseless accusations deter us from fairly applying the law,” the DA spokesperson said in a statement. The grand jury returns Wednesday. IT’S TUESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: agronewold@politico.com or on Twitter: @annagronewold WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany with no public schedule. WHERE’S ERIC? Meeting in the morning with CEOs from European companies and speaking at the United Nations on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Later, he’ll deliver remarks at the inaugural Black Economic Alliance Solutions Summit; meet with Meir Porush, the minister of Jerusalem and Jewish Tradition; deliver remarks at the NYPD’s CompStat meeting; and later host a Bangladesh Heritage Month reception. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair." — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
| | A message from CVS Health: CVS Health: from the simplest of needs to more complex care. Learn more. | | | |  | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING | | “NYPD Blows Overtime Budget by Nearly $100 Million, On Pace for Record,” by Bloomberg’s Fola Akinnibi: “The New York City Police Department has exceeded its overtime budget by almost $100 million and it is on pace to break a 10-year high for spending on extra hours for officers.” “Higher pay for temp nurses costing NYC millions, says union: ‘It’s a slap in the face,’” by Daily News’ Michael Gartland: “High turnover and the hiring of so-called traveling nurses at Jacobi Medical Center is likely costing the city tens of millions of dollars a year in additional costs, according to sources inside the New York State Nurses Union, which represents staff at the hospital.” “Mayor Adams launches crackdown on unregulated e-bike batteries, a growing fire hazard,” by WNYC’s Bahar Ostadan: “Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced a plan to crack down on unregulated e-bike and e-scooter batteries, which in recent years have sparked hundreds of fires across the five boroughs. E-bikes are popular among delivery workers, but city officials worry about a large market of unregulated batteries that can explode or spark fires when charged inside apartment buildings. Officials and advocates estimate more than 65,000 delivery workers in the city rely on electric-powered bikes and scooters.”
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | “Sticker shock awaits New Yorkers’ utility bills to fund renewables,” by POLITICO’s Marie French: New York is eager to move away from fossil fuels. Customers, though, will feel the switch in their wallets. The state has largely funded the recent investments in clean energy, electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps and new transmission lines incrementally through piecemeal decisions by the quasi-independent Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities. But larger bills for the aggressive transition are increasingly coming due, and it has the potential for sticker shock for ratepayers — a byproduct of the tremendous complexity of shifting from from fossil fuels to heat and power homes and businesses. “The inside story of the fight against Hector LaSalle,” by City & State’s Peter Sterne: “The opposition to LaSalle’s nomination did not spring up out of nowhere. It was the culmination of more than a year of diligent organizing by an informal group of attorneys, academics and criminal justice reform advocates. The exact size of the group varied over time, from about eight people to more than 20, and it primarily coordinated its activities through Zoom calls and shared Google Docs.” “New York lawmakers back nursing home oversight funding in budget talks,” by Spectrum News’ Nick Reisman: “New York lawmakers are backing a plan that would boost funding for an oversight program of the state's nursing homes and long-term care facilities as budget negotiations enter their final two weeks before the April 1 deadline. The Assembly's budget proposal approved last week would add $15 million for the long-term care ombudsman program as advocates and lawmakers worry the program has fallen short of visiting facilities to ensure residents are being looked after safely.” SHOWTIME! The NYS Legislative Correspondents Association’s show is back! “Everything’s Coming Up Kathy” is slated for Tuesday, May 23 at 60 State Place in Albany. Early birds get a discount. Buy tickets online at https://NYSLCAShow.eventbrite.com or stop by the press room on the 3rd floor of the Capitol. First in Playbook: Housing Justice for All is sending mailers to 32,000 voters across New York in support of the Good Cause Eviction bill, which would provide more protections to tenants. The mailers, the advocacy group said, are going to key constituencies that the real estate industry has targeted: suburban Democrats and Black moderate voters, especially homeowners of color. The efforts comes as legislative leaders and Hochul work toward a budget deal for the fiscal year that starts April 1. “Tenants deserve a fair shake,” the mailer reads. “When your apartment is unsafe or needs repairs, you shouldn’t be evicted for speaking up. Good Cause protects our neighbors from retaliation. If tenants hold up their end of the bargain, landlords should too.” — Joseph Spector #UpstateAmerica: Hungry? Here’s the top burgers’ list in the Capitol Region.
| | | | A message from CVS Health:   | | | | | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | By-the-book DA confronts unpredictable opponent in Trump, by POLITICO’s Erica Orden: As an indictment looms for Donald Trump, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is poised to become the first prosecutor ever to bring criminal charges against a former American president. It’s a distinction that puts him in a high-profile but perilous spot. WATCH: Trump ally tries to discredit Michael Cohen in testimony. Stop Overthinking It: An Indictment Would Be Bad For Trump, by POLITICO's Alexander Burns: The widely expected indictment of Donald Trump in Manhattan has all the makings of a political disaster for him. It should be the climactic event in a yearslong saga involving marital infidelity, sleazy financial dealings and now the first-ever criminal charge against a former American president. Naturally, the question arises: Could this actually be good for Trump?
So...
Why an indictment may help Trump — and threaten the GOP, by POLITICO’s David Siders and Adam Wren: For the duration of the Trump era, Trump has sought to turn one seemingly disqualifying scandal after another into his benefit. Sometimes he’s succeeded (the Access Hollywood tape was not the dagger everyone expected it to be), sometimes he’s struggled (the aftermath of the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 remains largely unkind). In each case, he’s survived. The expected, coming indictment will test that once more; though, so far, the timing could hardly be better for him. | | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Artist Ryan McGinness reimagined New York City’s much-ado new branding logo for The New York Times. ... Why was the logo much ado, you ask? WNYC’s Elizabeth Kim breaks it down. — Eric Adams spent a few seconds soloing on the drums in Times Square on Monday. — A new settlement between the attorney general and Schenectady-based medical transport company that billed Medicaid services that were not provided. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: CNN’s John Berman … Keith Rabin … Matt House
MAKING MOVES — Kalima Johnson is joining the Parkside Group as its new vice president of government relations. She most recently has worked at The Education Trust–New York. … Talat Ansari has joined Greenspoon Marder as a partner in New York. He most recently was a partner in commercial litigation at Seyfarth Shaw LLP. … Cecilia “CeCe” Szkutak is the new data analytics associate for the Parkside Group. CeCe previously worked as an associate at a market research firm. … … Maggie Halley, who was communications director for the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice under the de Blasio and Adams administrations, is now deputy communications director for public safety at the governor’s office. Today is her first day.
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Learn more. | | | | | Real Estate | |
“Kathy Hochul’s Plan to Force NYC Suburbs to Approve More Housing Sparks Battle,” by Wall Street Journal’s Jimmy Vielkind: “To housing advocates, a multifamily project first floated when Jimmy Carter was president is the ultimate example of unreasonably restrictive suburban zoning and the reason for a push by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul to change the rules.”
“How Do People Released from Prison Find Housing?” by The New York Times’ John J. Lennon: “There isn’t much assistance for people getting out of prison. We get $40 and a one-way bus ticket. Many of us head to the Port Authority in New York City. I say us, because I, too, am in prison.”
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