Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, the prosecutor behind the arrest of former President Donald Trump, just filed a federal lawsuit against Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio on Tuesday. In the lawsuit, DA Bragg alleges that Rep. Jordan is, with his subpoenas, attempting to intimidate him out of investigating and prosecuting former President Trump.
In the lawsuit, DA Bragg said he’s taking legal action “in response to an unprecedently brazen and unconstitutional attack by members of Congress on an ongoing New York State criminal prosecution and investigation of former President Donald J. Trump.”
DA Bragg then said, “Representative Jim Jordan, Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary (the “Committee”), began a transparent campaign to intimidate and attack District Attorney Bragg, making demands for confidential documents and testimony from the District Attorney himself as well as his current and former employees and officials. Two days after Mr. Trump was arraigned on 34 felony counts in New York State Supreme Court, Chairman Jordan and the Committee served a subpoena on Mark Pomerantz, a former Special Assistant District Attorney who participated in an investigation of Mr. Trump and his businesses. The subpoena seeks to compel Mr. Pomerantz to testify in a deposition on April 20, 2023. Chairman Jordan’s demands, including his subpoena to Mr. Pomerantz, seek highly sensitive and confidential local prosecutorial information that belongs to the Office of the District Attorney and the People of New York. Basic principles of federalism and common sense, as well as binding Supreme Court precedent, forbid Congress from demanding it. “
DA Bragg then alleged that Rep. Jordan has no constitutional power to demand oversight, saying, “He and his allies have stated they want the District Attorney to come to Capitol Hill to “explain” himself and to provide “a good argument” to Congress in support of his decision to investigate and prosecute Mr. Trump. And they have threatened that the House of Representatives will “hold Alvin Bragg . . . to account” for indicting Mr. Trump. Now, Chairman Jordan has subpoenaed one of the District Attorney’s former Special Assistants to interrogate him about his official prosecutorial activities. But subpoenaing a former line prosecutor to talk about an ongoing criminal prosecution and investigation is no less of an affront to state sovereignty than subpoenaing the District Attorney himself. Chairman Jordan claims he is seeking to conduct “oversight.” But he has no power under the Constitution to oversee state and local criminal matters. By definition, then, he has no legitimate legislative purpose for issuing this subpoena.”
In another section of the lawsuit, DA Bragg predictably claimed that Trump’s attacks have been “racist,” saying, “But rather than allowing the criminal process to proceed in the ordinary course, Chairman Jordan and the Committee are participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation, and obstruction. Mr. Trump in particular has threatened New York officials with violent and racist vitriol.”
Rep. Jordan, for his part, responded to the suit in a tweet, saying, “First, they indict a president for no crime. Then, they sue to block congressional oversight when we ask questions about the federal funds they say they used to do it.”
First, they indict a president for no crime.
Then, they sue to block congressional oversight when we ask questions about the federal funds they say they used to do it.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) April 11, 2023
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