Yavapai News

Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) is slamming a Manhattan prosecutor for indicting former president Donald Trump.

“I think they keep going after him, honestly, because he stands in the way of what they want to do to you," Crane posted on Instagram. "That’s the way I’ve always seen it with this guy and I’m glad we have guys like him. Proud to stand with President Trump as he fights yet another political witch hunt."

Bragg, an elected Democrat, resurrected the charges refused for six years by his predecessor and is seeking to go around a statute of limitations by upping a local misdemeanor charge to a federal felony charge.

The indictment is sealed. But leakers to CNN said it contains over 30 counts against Trump. It is the first time a former president has been charged with a crime.

Trump handily won Yavapai County in 2020 with 64.72% of the vote and 91,527 votes to President Joe Biden’s 34.53% and 49,602 votes.

In 2016, Trump won 62.32% of the vote and 71,330 votes to Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton who received 31.10% of the vote and 35,590 votes.

Trump has been actively campaigning for a return to the Oval Office. Arizona's Republican Primary is scheduled for March 19, 2023. 

"Democrats are abusing and politicizing justice with their indictment of President Trump," tweeted the Arizona Republican Party. "This is election-meddling at its most egregious. Don't let Arizona turn into New York - vote Republican in 2024!"

Trump took to his Truth Social social media platform with a statement in the immediate wake of the indictment. 

"This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats - the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country - have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement. You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this,” Trump said. 

Trump called the Democrats liars who have "cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump, but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference." 

"Never before in our Nation's history has this been done," he stated. "The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever.”

Trump called 'Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros,' a disgrace. He alleged Bragg to have been "doing Joe Biden's dirty work" instead of "stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City." Bragg, according to Trump is "ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on."

"I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden," the former president said of his successor. "The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our Movement and our Party - united and strong - will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"