Manhattan DA slams House Republicans who open probe into Trump indictment
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office issued a strong public rebuttal to House Republicans launching an investigation into the potential indictment of former President Donald Trump.
According to Fox News, a spokesperson for Bragg responded to the GOP lawmakers' demands for records and testimony related to the investigation into Trump's alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign.
The spokesperson asserted, "We will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we let baseless accusations deter us from fairly applying the law." They added that their team of "skilled, honest and dedicated lawyers" would continue to "follow the law without fear or favor to uncover the truth."
On Monday, three House Republican committee chairmen sent a letter to Bragg announcing their investigation and requesting communications, documents, and testimony. The letter, signed by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), and House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI), warned of "an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority: the indictment of a former President of the United States and current declared candidate for that office."
Over the weekend, Trump anticipated his arrest on Tuesday and called on his supporters to protest. A spokesperson for the former president later stated that Trump received no "notification" other than "illegal leaks" to the media, possibly referring to reports about law enforcement preparing for a potential indictment.
While the specifics of a possible indictment against Trump remain uncertain, it is widely expected to involve a charge of bookkeeping fraud related to covering up an alleged affair, which the former president denies. Trump, who announced his third campaign for the White House in November, claims that Bragg's investigation is politically motivated and denies any wrongdoing.
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), who led the first of two impeachment cases against Trump, criticized his Republican colleagues for initiating an investigation into Bragg's efforts. He argued that defending Trump is not a legitimate legislative purpose for Congress to investigate a state district attorney and that Congress has no jurisdiction over the Manhattan DA.
In response, Rep. Jordan posted a tweet accusing Democrats of hypocrisy, stating, "Democrats think it's ok for them to examine and defund local police. But not ok for Republicans to examine a local prosecutor in Manhattan abusing his power to take down a political opponent."
Democrats think it’s ok for them to examine and defund local police.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) March 21, 2023
But not ok for Republicans to examine a local prosecutor in Manhattan abusing his power to take down a political opponent.
Ian Miles Cheong
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Ian Miles Cheong is a freelance writer, graphic designer, journalist and videographer. He’s kind of a big deal on Twitter.
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