JUST IN: Alvin Bragg Sues Jim Jordan to Block Alleged Interference in Trump Case
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sued House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Tuesday in a move intended to stop House Republicans from interfering in his ongoing criminal case against former President Donald Trump, reported the New York Times.
The Times called the suit an “extraordinary” move and added that “the 50-page suit, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, accuses Mr. Jordan of a ‘brazen and unconstitutional attack’ on the prosecution of Mr. Trump and a ‘transparent campaign to intimidate and attack’ the district attorney.”
The Manhattan DA’s lawsuit additionally accused Jordan of “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.”
Bragg indicted Trump last week on 34 felony charges against alleging the former president of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
At the heart of Bragg’s lawsuit against Jordan is a motion to stop enforcement of a congressional subpoena for Mark Pomerantz – a former lead investigator in the DA’s office on the Trump case.
The Times explains:
Mr. Pomerantz resigned early last year after Mr. Bragg, just weeks into his first term in office, decided not to seek an indictment of Trump at that time.
Mr. Bragg’s lawyers, including Theodore J. Boutrous Jr. of the law firm Gibson Dunn and Leslie Dubeck, the general counsel in the district attorney’s office, also intend to prevent any other such subpoenas, the lawsuit says. Mr. Jordan has left open the possibility of subpoenaing Mr. Bragg.
Bragg recently called the move by Jordan to subpoena Pomerantz “unprecedented” and an “abuse of power.”
“The House GOP continues to attempt to undermine an active investigation and ongoing New York criminal case with an unprecedented campaign of harassment and intimidation,” Bragg’s statement declared, adding:
Repeated efforts to weaken state and local law enforcement actions are an abuse of power and will not deter us from our duty to uphold the law. These elected officials would better serve their constituents and the country, and fulfill their oath of office, by doing their jobs in Congress and not intruding on the sovereignty of the state of New York by interfering in an ongoing criminal matter in state court.
Jordan and two other House GOP chairmen have previously demanded Bragg testify before Congress about his indictment of Trump, requests Bragg has so far declined.
