America First Legal (AFL) has filed a new petition in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his office, escalating its effort to obtain records that have been unlawfully withheld under New York’s Freedom of Information Law.
The petition follows AFL’s 2023 lawsuit seeking documents connected to Bragg’s prosecution of President Trump in People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump. AFL requested communications between Bragg’s office and the Biden-Harris campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and progressive groups including Color of Change and CREW, along with documents tied to fundraising related to the case. It also sought correspondence involving Bragg’s campaign, his political committees, and communications with Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, who runs a Democratic consulting firm. Calendars for Bragg and his senior aides were also requested.
According to AFL, Bragg’s office has stonewalled the requests for more than a year, citing broad exemptions, delaying responses with repeated 30- to 90-day extensions, and producing only unrelated records such as transcripts of New York Mayor Eric Adams’ media appearances. AFL says these tactics amount to obstruction and violate state law.
“The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is doing everything it can to delay AFL’s investigation, but we are not giving up until we receive the records we are legally entitled to,” said Will Scolinos, counsel for AFL. “Alvin Bragg’s office is tasked with upholding the rule of law, and now it is time for it to comply with the law instead of continuing to kick the can down the road without justification.”
