Posted on 03/20/2023 12:13:58 PM PDT by rxsid
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), and House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) sent a letter to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg demanding communications, documents, and testimony relating to Bragg's unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority and the potential indictment of former President Donald Trump.
Excerpts of the letter to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg:
"You are reportedly about to engage in an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority: the indictment of a former President of the United States and current declared candidate for that office. This indictment comes after years of your office searching for a basis—any basis—on which to bring charges, ultimately settling on a novel legal theory untested anywhere in the country and one that federal authorities declined to pursue. If these reports are accurate, your actions will erode confidence in the evenhanded application of justice and unalterably interfere in the course of the 2024 presidential election. In light of the serious consequences of your actions, we expect that you will testify about what plainly appears to be a politically motivated prosecutorial decision.
"The New York County District Attorney’s Office has been investigating President Trump since at least 2018, looking for some legal theory on which to bring charges. The facts surrounding the impending indictment have 'been known for years.' Michael Cohen, President Trump’s disgraced former lawyer, pleaded guilty over four years ago to charges based on the same facts at issue in the impending indictment. By July 2019, however, federal prosecutors determined that no additional people would be charged alongside Cohen. Now, in the words of one legal scholar, you are attempting to 'shoehorn' the same case with identical facts into a new prosecution, resurrecting a so-called 'zombie' case against President Trump. Even the Washington Post quoted 'legal experts' as calling your actions 'unusual' because 'prosecutors have repeatedly examined the long-established details but decided not to pursue charges.'
"In addition to the novel and untested legal theory, your star witness for this prosecution has a serious credibility problem—a problem that you have reportedly recognized. This case relies heavily on the testimony of Michael Cohen, a convicted perjurer with a demonstrable prejudice against President Trump. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in 2018. In 2019, when he testified before Democrats on the House Oversight Committee to aid their fruitless investigation into President Trump, Cohen lied again—six times. Cohen has been vocal about his deeply personal animus toward President Trump. Under these circumstances, there is no scenario in which Cohen could fairly be considered an unbiased and credible witness.
"Your decision to pursue such a politically motivated prosecution—while adopting progressive criminal justice policies that allow career 'criminals [to] run[ ] the streets' of Manhattan —requires congressional scrutiny about how public safety funds appropriated by Congress are implemented by local law-enforcement agencies. In addition, your apparent decision to pursue criminal charges where federal authorities declined to do so requires oversight to inform potential legislative reforms about the delineation of prosecutorial authority between federal and local officials. Finally, because the circumstances of this matter stem, in part, from Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, Congress may consider legislative reforms to the authorities of special counsels and their relationships with other prosecuting entities. Accordingly, to advance our oversight, please produce the following documents and information for the period January 1, 2017, to the present:
1. All documents and communications between or among the New York County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Justice, its component entities, or other federal law enforcement agencies referring or relating to your office’s investigation of President Donald Trump;
2. All documents and communications sent or received by former employees Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz referring or relating to President Donald Trump; and
3. All documents and communications referring or relating to the New York County District Attorney Office’s receipt and use of federal funds."
Read the full letter here.
###
Jordan, Comer, Steil Demand Communications, Documents, and Testimony from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg
“...sent a letter to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg demanding./..”
That’ll sure do it. Heh.
...sent a letter?
That is so much more forceful than smoke signals.
Which he will ignore of course.
not that i dont think bragg is a political hack but how is this in congress’s wheelhouse?
Will this yield anything more than most previous hearings?
Kim Jong Ill: "Or else...what?"
Blix: "Or else we will write you a strongly worded letter!"
- "Team America: World Police"
It’s a dog and pony show.
I guess it’s better than nothing, but not much.
Does the US House even have effective, enforceable, legal subpoena power?
All talk, no bite. I really doubt that congress can extract any non-public case information while the case is pending or being adjudicated.
Bragg is a public official. How about disclosing his home address, so American citizens can contact him personally about their concerns.
They did this to Musk. I want to see it done to Alvin Frag.
“not that i dont think bragg is a political hack but how is this in congress’s wheelhouse?”
Ah....I noticed something in the statement. Went something like “All communications between your office and those of Federal Government funded agencies, including SDNY, and potential Federal Funding and assistance you received....”
All of these Federal Agencies have failed, so they went around Federal norms and tried to resurrect the (zombie) case in Manhattan court, but Federally assisted. Congress has a right to intervene wherein Federal Money has been spent for things it should not have been spent for. Since the Manhattan DA accepted that assistance, probably improperly. That means he took Federal Assistance, potentially financially and manpower, which is probably inappropriate and potentially illegal in this setting, when it’s a political based attack.
They just put him on notice, not that he could be investigated, but that he has been ‘used’ inappropriately and may have violated his legal boundaries. The emails, if Federal money are involved, are certainly under the privy of Congress. I hope for the prosecutor and his office, they aren’t damaging..... but I think it will not be good.
Which he will ignore of course.
===============================================
I've no doubt, he's a lawless corrupt DA. That's where the "go from there" part comes in.
This will be a great test to see how serious the (R)'s in congress are in starting the process to take our country back from the lawless hate America psycho's that seem to be everywhere now.
Gotta start somewhere.
The GOP needs a flamethrower
Well, as long as the tone of the letter was on the angry side
Because he is trying to influence an election that affects the executive branch of the federal government.
If they can investigate steroids in baseball, they can investigate a DA who is abusing his power by politically going after a former President and current front runner in the race for the next presidency.
No doubt about it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.