For Immediate Release: Press Conference April 29th, 2025
For Immediate Release
April 29, 2025
Contact: Tyrone Stevens, [email protected]
“We must bring justice to every community — without fear or favor. The law is not a suggestion, it’s a command.” – Diana Florence
New York, NY – Diana Florence, a longtime prosecutor and lifelong Democrat today announced her Independent candidacy for Manhattan District Attorney on the “A Safer Manhattan” line in the November election. Florence has spent 30 years as a prosecutor and is a veteran of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where she began as an Assistant District Attorney under Robert Morgenthau. Florence formally announced her candidacy for DA at Foley Square where she rallied with supporters and outlined her vision for a safer Manhattan.
Below are her prepared remarks. The video from this morning’s launch event can be viewed at this link: https://www.facebook.com/dianaforda/videos/3081451285346115/?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=adtAufkjJXDDvn5k
Thank you for joining us today. It’s a pleasure to look out and see so many faces from all parts of my life. And thank you Scott, the love of my life for more than 30 years. And thank you to our amazing kids, Alexandra and Matthew. Being your mom has been the joy of my life. I’m so proud of you both. Thank you to John Jovic representing the Insulators unions who has endorsed me as I launch… I can’t think of a more just cause than the fight for living wages and safe working conditions for everyday New Yorkers. I’m so grateful to have partnered with you for so many years. I’m so proud to have your support.
That ability to do right by people is why I became a prosecutor 30 years ago under the legendary Robert Morgenthau. He taught me about the responsibility and importance of public service… And that the foundation of a thriving society is public safety and justice for all.
Manhattan deserves a chance to thrive. But that can’t happen if New Yorkers don’t feel safe. When quality of life is sliding backwards. And repeat offenses are rising upwards. Like we’re experiencing right now. We no longer live in a New York where the Manhattan DA prioritizes safety. This is not the New York I raised my kids in. It takes 30 minutes to buy toothpaste.
We see repeat offenders of serious crimes set free. And walking at night is no longer something New Yorkers do without hesitation. That’s not the city we had. And that’s not the city we deserve. We deserve leadership as good as our people — as tough, as creative, and as determined.
And that is why, with a belief that we can and we must bring leadership back to the District Attorney’s Office and bring justice to every community without fear or favor today, I proudly announce my candidacy for Manhattan District Attorney.
I am running for Manhattan District Attorney for one simple reason: My fellow New Yorkers don’t feel safe. They deserve a District Attorney who prioritizes safety, fairness, and accountability — not politics. I am a lifelong Democrat running as an independent on the Safer Manhattan line. But whether you’re a Democrat like me, a Republican, or an unaffiliated voter, public safety cannot be based on partisan politics. Partisan politics has no place in a District Attorney’s Office. Proven experience does. I’ve prosecuted crime in the streets and in the suites, I’ve seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t. For the DA, it starts with knowing who and what you’re fighting for.
I began my career working alongside women and children who suffered unspeakable acts of domestic violence. I prosecuted career criminals who committed sex crimes and violent robberies on the subway. After 9/11, I worked with charities like the Red Cross… and Safe Horizon… and the Robin Hood Foundation… To convict con artists who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for the victims of the terror attacks. And when the city began to rebuild, I went after corporations and executives that falsified the strength of the concrete on the new WTC… and the new Yankee Stadium… and the 2nd Avenue Subway… along with scores of other New York City landmarks.
I prosecuted contractors that ripped off NYCHA tenants and faked essential apartment repairs… And I took on big corporations that stole millions of dollars in hard earned wages from their workers. I obtained landmark homicide convictions against companies and their managers who killed Carlos Moncayo, a young worker, who was buried alive on a construction site just a mile from where we are standing.
I created a new community-based model of prosecution and brought law enforcement, unions, community members, and advocates to the table. And I used every tool in the toolbox to combat crime and keep New Yorkers safe. Using simple technology, like WhatsApp, we developed cases by collaborating closely with the NYPD, the public and private sector, and communities on the ground. People who never considered the DA a resource became essential partners with our Office.
When I saw loopholes that allowed corporations to steal millions from working people. I didn’t just sit by and complain about it, I teamed up with lawmakers and wrote two bills that are now laws throughout our state. One increased the penalties for employers that physically harm workers on the job. And another that made it easier to hold employers accountable for cheating workers out of their hard-earned wages. I have never forgotten who I am fighting for. And that’s why I am running for Manhattan DA.
It’s about prosecuting those who break the law to protect all New Yorkers. It’s NOT about politics. It’s NOT about the press. It’s about People!
Unfortunately, this has not been the reality in the current DA’s office. This failure started from the very beginning of DA Bragg’s tenure, with his “Day One Memo.” Instead of considering each case individually, he directed prosecutors to automatically downgrade how crimes were charged. Turning felonies into misdemeanors and misdemeanors into no crimes at all.
Our current DA now avoids seeking jail time in most cases, and outright declines to prosecute certain crimes altogether. New Yorkers know the original bail reform went too far And yet DA Bragg went even further. Instead of hunkering down on fighting crime and making our streets safer… The DA’s office pursued a social experiment that made our city more hospitable for criminals and less safe for everyone else.
Today, it is not unusual for someone to be arrested for a serious crime, only to be released because the DA refused to prosecute. And no surprise – crime has gotten worse Rapes, Robberies, Felony Assaults and other major crimes have all risen since DA Bragg took office. These trends are neither isolated nor abstract. Each case represents a New Yorker who suffers lasting harm.
Here’s just a taste of what’s happened recently in our borough: On the Upper West Side, a serial bank robber walked into a Citibank and handed a teller a note threatening violence if they moved. Despite being arrested and charged with robbing six banks since 2017 — and having previously served time for rape — he was back on the streets! This is wrong. It must stop. When I’m DA, it will!
And yet another example: A man with a history of violent assaults, was arrested after brutally attacking and attempting to rape a woman on the subway. Just days before, he had been arrested for assaulting a woman, but the Manhattan DA’s office chose not to prosecute the case even though he had an active warrant for a previous attack… He was released! Again! No surprise, just four days later, he struck again, assaulting another woman. This is wrong. It must stop. When I’m DA, it will!
By prioritizing politics and press hits DA Bragg has doubled down on hollow reforms and empty rhetoric. Creating departments that sound promising but have no real staffing. He seems to have forgotten that the Manhattan DA is first and foremost the chief law enforcement officer of our borough. And the numbers don’t lie DA Bragg’s Day One memo, has led to a justice system that is more lenient and unpredictable. Emboldening criminals while frustrating police and law-abiding New Yorkers.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s time to bring common sense back to the District Attorney’s office. We must restore order, bring balance, and rebuild trust in our justice system. And that is why I am running to be your Manhattan District Attorney.
Whether it’s stealing shaving cream from a pharmacy, which leads to shelves being locked up. Or shoving someone into an oncoming subway train. We must send a clear message: we will not tolerate crime in New York. I have a simple plan to make Manhattan safer. It starts with aggressively prosecuting violent crime. New Yorkers deserve to live without fear of being victims of assault, robbery, or any other violent acts.
I will focus on holding repeat offenders accountable. It’s time to stop the cycle of criminals committing offenses, being released, and reoffending without serious consequences. I will make sure that those who commit acts of domestic violence and sex crimes are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I will take on rising antisemitism, anti-Asian violence and all acts of hate against anyone in Manhattan. Whether it’s in our communities or on our campuses – hate will have no safe harbor.
I will prosecute crimes that have been downgraded by the current DA, including so-called “non-violent” crimes like shoplifting, vandalism, and trespass. I’m going to fight for a Manhattan where stores aren’t locking up toothpaste and our public spaces aren’t crime scenes waiting to happen. This will be reflected in my Day One Memo.
I will protect small businesses by prosecuting retail theft including shoplifting rings and other organized crime. I will prioritize protecting our seniors from fraud and abuse. I will protect workers by going after employers who engage in wage theft and run dangerous job sites. I will work with our police and all law enforcement partners and make sure they understand: when they make an arrest, the DA will no longer seek the path of least resistance.
Obviously, not every case deserves jail. Some will require access to services like drug rehab and mental health treatment and I will work with other partners to ensure that happens. But to be truly compassionate, you have to be smart on crime, not soft on crime! I will make sure that we resolve cases with the victim and administration of justice front and center. And I will end blanket policies of decriminalization.
Now, if my ideas sound like common-sense. That’s because they are! It’s long past time to bring common sense back to the DA’s office and leave the politics behind. The law is a command, not a suggestion. And generating headlines is not the same as generating public safety. Manhattan deserves a District Attorney who will take decisive action to restore order and fairness, and prioritize the rights of victims.
My promise to all of you is to make us safe at home, safe at work and safe on the streets.
Thank you very much!