Online users are misinformed; Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wasn’t arrested

On March 30, The Associated Press published a video of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg leaving his office following the indictment of former President Donald Trump in connection with hush money paid to an adult film star. 

The footage is not riveting. Flanked by what appears to be a security detail, Bragg, whose office is steering the case against Trump, gets into a black SUV. But online, some people are claiming it shows Bragg being taken into custody. 

"Bragg has been arrested," reads the caption of an April 6 Facebook post sharing the video. 

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

Featured Fact-check

Benny Johnson

stated on March 30, 2024 in a video on Facebook

Video shows “New York Governor Kathy Hochul being denied entry into the wake for slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller.”

Bragg hasn’t been arrested. On April 4, several days after this video was recorded, he appeared at a news conference and discussed Trump’s indictment.  

Searching PACER, a database of federal court records, we found no criminal cases listing Bragg as a defendant. We also found no news reports about Bragg’s arrest, an event that would draw broad media coverage.

Meanwhile, Bragg has good reason to travel with a security detail (The Brunswick News has a photo of him being escorted by one March 22). Federal law enforcement officers have been "tracking a surge of violent threats" against Bragg, Time reported, including a typewritten death threat enclosed with white powder.

Claims Bragg was arrested are unfounded. We rate this post Pants on Fire!