POLITICO Nightly: Progressive prosecutors contend with backlash politics

 

BY JEREMY B. WHITE Demonstrators held a rally in response to State Attorney Monique Worrell's suspension by Gov. Ron DeSantis. | Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP PROSECUTORIAL POLITICS — District attorney races haven’t historically drawn the same attention as presidential or even House or Senate contests. But local prosecutors are increasingly under a national spotlight amid the ongoing debate over sentencing guidelines, mandatory minimum sentences and violent crime. Now, with America at a criminal justice crossroads, their campaigns are beginning to get a lot more attention than ever before — including in the 2024 presidential primary. After decades of increasingly harsh sentencing laws swelled state prison populations, the last few years saw bipartisan support for moving in the opposite direction — a reversal embodied by former President Donald Trump signing the First Step Act . Blue states like California passed laws seeking to reduce incarceration and eliminate cash bail. But sentencing laws merely set the terms for the people on the frontlines of crime and punishment: the elected district attorneys are the ones deciding whom to charge with what. And that’s put a new generation of progressive, reform-minded DAs in the headlines. They have risen to power in recent years, buoyed by a racial justice reckoning and deep-pocketed donors that can counter the spending of the law enforcement interests that have sought to defeat them. Supporters hail it as a new era in criminal justice, but a backlash has many of those prosecutors fighting for their political lives as Republicans hammer them for being soft on crime, seeing an obvious vulnerability as violent offenses leaped in many cities after having plummeted to historic lows. Conservatives have relentlessly attacked “Soros prosecutors,” spotlighting the millions of dollars Hungarian-American philanthropist George Soros has poured into electing reformers (Soros is part of a constellation of funders ). Both Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis invoked Soros as they assailed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg — who had received money from a Soros-funded group — for prosecuting Trump. DeSantis has reveled in vilifying left-leaning prosecutors as he inveighs against “woke” politics. He has suspended two Florida prosecutors, contending they have broken the law by abusing their discretion. Just last week, State Attorney Monique Worrell accused DeSantis of using her to invigorate his flailing presidential campaign, saying the governor “needed to get back in the media in some positive way that would be red meat for his base.” The Florida governor in fact touted suspending Worrell at an event in must-win Iowa. His critiques of wayward prosecutors have extended beyond Florida: when he moved last year to neutralize State Attorney Andrew Warren, DeSantis cautioned against the “catastrophic” policies implemented by progressive DAs in Los Angeles and San Francisco who “take it upon themselves to determine which laws they like and will enforce.” It was a familiar line of attack. Republicans and the conservative media frequently play up the woes of Democrat-run California cities, which in recent years has meant a heavy focus on prosecutors like Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón and former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. But the critique is not just coming from red states. Again and again, voters in staunchly blue California counties have elected left-leaning prosecutors and then moved to recall them before they finish a term. Boudin was ousted in a nationally-watched vote last year. Gascón has faced repeated recall attempts backed by law enforcement and conservative donors. And now Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is facing a recall push just months into her tenure, as I reported Tuesday . Fellow-travelers in the movement have faced pressure across the country: Republicans have sought to remove Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner ; Nueces County, Texas District Attorney Mark A. Gonzalez ; and St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who stepped down after Missouri’s attorney general sought to boot her from office. Republican legislatures have pushed bills to curtail prosecutorial powers. Progressive DAs and their allies see conservative foes and entrenched law enforcement interests seeking to defend a broken system. Detractors argue those prosecutors have lost the confidence of voters by undermining public safety and sowing chaos, vindicating a law-and-order approach. Those broader themes are certain to echo in the 2024 presidential campaign and in contested House races as Republicans look to exploit crime concerns. And if DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom actually have that much ballyhooed debate , you can count on DeSantis bringing up the conditions on San Francisco’s streets . Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at jwhite@politico.com on Twitter at @JeremyBWhite .   YOUR TICKET INSIDE THE GOLDEN STATE POLITICAL ARENA: California Playbook delivers the latest intel, buzzy scoops and exclusive coverage from Sacramento and Los Angeles to Silicon Valley and across the state. Don't miss out on the daily must-read for political aficionados and professionals with an outsized interest in California politics, policy and power. Subscribe today.     WHAT'D I MISS? — Sinema takes on Schumer, Jeffries and the White House over the border: When the Biden administration doled out millions in border relief money recently, it gave more to New York — the home of Congress’ two top Democratic leaders — than to Arizona. Now the Copper State’s most famous former Democrat is calling out her old party’s leaders . Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is on the warpath over what she and border-state Democrats decry as Arizona’s disproportionately small share of an $800 million pot aimed at alleviating overcrowded migrant holding facilities. She’s not alone in crying foul about Arizona getting short shrift when compared to the Empire State — her potential 2024 opponent Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is also speaking out on the imbroglio. — Biden to visit Maui on Monday as wildfire deaths continue to climb : President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Maui , Hawaii on Monday after wildfires on the island have left over 100 people dead, reports POLITICO. The president plans to meet with first responders and survivors, as well as federal, state and local officials while in Maui, she said. Last week, Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Hawaii in order to free up federal aid to support the island. — Federal judges agree to abortion pill restrictions, but the drugs remain legal for now: The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled that access to the abortion pill, mifepristone, should be sharply curtailed , ramping up the legal threat to the most popular method of ending a pregnancy. The decision — if allowed by the Supreme Court to take effect — would roll back actions the federal government has taken since 2016 to make the pills more accessible, including rules allowing online ordering, mail delivery and pharmacy dispensing of the drugs. Despite the appellate court’s ruling, there will be no change in how the pills are distributed until the Supreme Court revisits the issue, likely in 2024. — Prosecutors seek March 4 trial in Trump racketeering case: Georgia prosecutors are seeking a March 4, 2024, trial for Donald Trump and 18 allies on racketeering charges connected to the former president’s bid to subvert the 2020 election. The timeline, combined with Trump’s other proposed and scheduled criminal cases, could put Trump in the courtroom for most of the first six months of 2024, a span that covers almost the entirety of the GOP primary in which he’s the frontrunner for the nomination. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis framed the proposed date as a bid to work around Trump’s other scheduled matters, including a March 25 trial date in New York on charges that he falsified business records to cover up an extramarital affair and a May 20 trial date on federal charges that he hoarded classified documents at his Florida estate. NIGHTLY ROAD TO 2024 GEORGIA ON HIS MIND — If Donald Trump is going to romp to the 2024 GOP presidential nomination — and stay out of prison — he’ll need to break his Georgia losing streak. That’s not just in the case of a criminal trial stemming from his indictment over allegedly trying to steal the 2020 election, but in the state’s potentially pivotal Republican presidential primary next March. Georgia isn’t going to singlehandedly determine the GOP nomination. But if Trump emerges from the four early states and Super Tuesday in a competitive race, voters in Georgia could play a key role in the trajectory of the primary , writes POLITICO. SPOTLIGHT ON SCOTT — Tim Scott enjoyed on Tuesday what other candidates had missed: having the Iowa State Fair largely to himself , reports The New York Times. The South Carolina senator shook hands, tried barbecue and threw footballs with fairgoers — all a natural part of the retail politics of a presidential candidate seeking to gain standing in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. And he didn’t have to share the spotlight with rivals or hecklers. Mr. Scott, who has made heavy media investments in Iowa, has a polished pitch that draws on a more “common sense,” optimistic message and frequently refers to his faith, a nod to Iowa’s evangelical voters. His efforts paid off on Tuesday, as he drew a crowd that was one of the largest for any of the candidates who spoke with Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa and was repeatedly recognized — and praised — by fairgoers. BROKE AND BROKEN — When a fight broke out at a closed-door meeting of the Michigan GOP state committee, a kick to the groin and broken dentures interrupted discussion of the dismal finances of the state party. The altercation last month at the Doherty Hotel in Clare, Mich., made clear that the Michigan Republican Party — now dominated by its right flank staunchly aligned with former President Donald Trump — has descended into chaos. It can barely fundraise and has all but gone broke , The Wall Street Journal reports. State lawmakers have taken to raising money on their own, unable to rely on the party at a time when Republicans are seeking to reclaim a majority in the state legislature and prepare for the 2024 election in Michigan, a crucial presidential swing state. Michigan’s GOP infighting is an extreme example of the dysfunction in many states as the chamber-of-commerce Republicans who used to define the party give way to populists who are deeply skeptical of elites and institutions of power. AROUND THE WORLD Western allies have long emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and said Kyiv should decide when and how to negotiate with Moscow. | Libkos/AP Photo BACKPEDALING — NATO was in cleanup mode Wednesday after a senior official sparked a dust-up over his suggestion that Ukraine could cede territory to Russia in exchange for NATO membership, writes Lili Bayer . The controversy started Tuesday when Stian Jenssen, director of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s private office, said one solution to the ongoing war could be for Ukraine to offer Russia land in return for a spot in the NATO military alliance . The comments, made during a panel debate in southern Norway and picked up by the Norwegian newspaper VG, were striking as Western allies have long emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and said Kyiv should decide when and how to negotiate with Moscow. Within hours, Ukraine was expressing outrage, diplomats were doing double takes and Moscow was putting it all through the Kremlin’s spin machine. SLOW WALK — The Biden administration appears to be slow-walking the renewal of a long-standing military assistance program to Azerbaijan amid growing warnings of ethnic cleansing in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh , write Eric Bazail-Eimil and Gabriel Gavin . Every year since 2002, the White House has issued a waiver to provide aid to Azerbaijan despite its campaign against Nagorno-Karabakh. That waiver has previously been completed before the summer, but this year it is still pending halfway through August. Officials have offered no explanation for the delay. However, it coincides with increasing concern within the international community that Azerbaijan is responsible for a worsening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan has hardened its stance against the ethnic Armenian population there in recent months, blocking the entry of commercial and humanitarian vehicles and shutting off the region’s access to gas and electricity. The U.N. Security Council will consider an appeal from Armenia to respond to the worsening situation Wednesday.   DON’T MISS POLITICO’S TECH & AI SUMMIT: America’s ability to lead and champion emerging innovations in technology like generative AI will shape our industries, manufacturing base and future economy. Do we have the right policies in place to secure that future? How will the U.S. retain its status as the global tech leader? Join POLITICO on Sept. 27 for our Tech & AI Summit to hear what the public and private sectors need to do to sharpen our competitive edge amidst rising global competitors and rapidly evolving disruptive technologies. REGISTER HERE .     NIGHTLY NUMBER 45,755 The number of people detected arriving in the U.K. on small boats in 2022 . British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to reduce the numbers of asylum seekers making the perilous journey across the English Channel. RADAR SWEEP TINY ROBOTIC CHEFS — Imagine: A tiny robotic chef assembles and cooks blueberry breakfast muffins that are platonically bouncy and nutritionally optimized based on your biometric data. Just before lunch, an internet-connected storage container in your fridge fires a notification to your phone telling you, “It’s really time to eat that kale.” And instead of going to the store to buy steak for dinner, you’ll grab a perfectly marbled hunk of flesh that’s been cultivated from animal cells in the mini bioreactor on your kitchen counter,. These fictional appliances probably sound like props in a sci-fi movie, but experts say they’re (mostly) grounded in reality. Home cooking is no doubt going to look a whole lot different in 50 years. Though emerging tech and science innovations will power our future kitchen appliances, it’s climate and health concerns that will really drive their necessity . As our population balloons (at least for now) and roughly one-third of the food we grow is never eaten, it’s easy to see how resource scarcity and emissions will grow in tandem. The best future kitchen appliances will not only perform multiple cooking functions, but may help reduce energy consumption, increase personal nutrition, and prevent looming resource scarcity, writes Ali Francis in Bon Appetit. PARTING IMAGE On this day in 1969: Woodstock attendees walk along the wet highway leading from Bethel, New York as they leave the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. Two hundred thousand persons spent a rainy night at the festival. | AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh Katherine Long @katherinealong   FOLLOW US

POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA