Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg slams former prosecutor for book critical of Trump investigation

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg criticized former prosecutor Mark Pomerants on Tuesday, saying it was “horrible” that the author of a book about Trump called the district attorney’s investigation into the ex-president a train wreck.

Pomeranz and another prosecutor who led the office’s investigation into the Trump organization dropped the explosive case in February 2022, saying the Bragg office failed the investigation, and outlined it in their new book, The People Against Donald Trump: Insider Information.

“I want to specifically respond to Mark Pomeranz’s criticism of our team,” Bragg said Tuesday, breaking his silence for the first time since the prosecutor-turned-author’s book was made public.

“It’s terrible that he insulted the skill and professionalism of our prosecutors,” Bragg said indignantly, answering a reporter’s question about the tome at an irrelevant press conference.

“We have the most distinguished lawyers in the country who work every day in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to keep our city safe from the streets to the apartments,” the district attorney added.

Pomeranz, a former Manhattan federal prosecutor, was brought into the 2021 district attorney’s investigation into Trump by Bragg’s predecessor, former district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.

The DA’s other lead Trump investigator who left was Carey Dunn, who has been in the office since 2017 and served as Vance’s general counsel.

A general investigation into the business operations and finances of the former commander in chief was launched by Vance in 2018.

Pomeranz writes in his book, released Tuesday, that the investigation “acquired evidence to convince us that Donald Trump committed serious crimes.

“When we compared the facts, many of us came to the conclusion that we have enough evidence to convict him, and we can present strong arguments in court that will lead to a guilty verdict,” he wrote. “Provincial Attorney [Vance] agreed and sanctioned the prosecution.

“But… new [Bragg] the regime decided that Donald Trump should not be prosecuted, and the investigation stalled. What’s happened?”

Pomerantz stated that the investigation had “become the legal equivalent of a plane crash” and cited “pilot error” as the reason.

Bragg said on Tuesday that the probe is still alive.

“We have an active investigation, so I am limited in what I can say. I’m not going to say anything that could potentially compromise or jeopardize this investigation,” he told reporters.

But “For over 20 years I have been working on difficult and complex white collar cases.

“I bring heavy suitcases when they’re ready,” Bragg said.

“Last year, when I took office, I did an exhaustive review of the issue before me. I came to the same conclusion that several senior prosecutors in my office had independently reached—the Mark Pomertanz case simply wasn’t ready,” he continued.

“So I told my team, ‘Let’s keep working.’ Although Mr. Pomerantz retired a year ago, apparently to write a book, our excellent team has continued to work on the case.”

Last month, Bragg fired a warning shot at Pomeranz’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, saying, “Mr. Pomeranz must obtain prior written permission from the District Attorney’s office before disclosing information relating to the “existence, nature, or content” of any communications, records, or documents that are in any way relevant to the investigation.

On Tuesday, Bragg said: “I haven’t read the book, I don’t know what’s in it. But I remain concerned that this could jeopardize or undermine our investigation.”

Trump, 76, whom Pomeranz likens in his book to the infamous late city mob boss John Gotti, also threatened to sue the author.

Neither Pomeranz nor his publisher responded to The Post’s request for comment on Tuesday.