The already very contentious Donald Trump criminal case about allegedly covering up a sex scandal just got even more contentious. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who’s prosecuting the case against Trump, has sued Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) over what he calls a “brazen and unconstitutional attack” on the case.
Bragg sued Jordan to keep Republicans in Congress from attempting to interfere with the case in a 50-page lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, per CNN. You can read the full lawsuit here. Bragg did not mince words in the lawsuit, calling Jordan’s actions a “transparent campaign to intimidate and attack.”
Trump was arraigned on 34 felony charges stemming from an alleged affair with porn actress Stormy Daniels, and subsequently paying $130,000 for her silence, and then allegedly covering up the payments using his fixer Michael Cohen.
Bragg wants to stop Jordan and his allies in Congress from using subpoenas to interfere with the case. Jordan recently subpoenaed Mark F. Pomerantz, who used to lead an investigation into Trump but resigned from his position after Bragg decided not to go forward with the Pomerantz case, citing weakness in it.
Bragg, a Democrat, is dealing with the political fallout from the case. He said his office has received more than 1,000 emails and calls from Trump supporters, many of them racist and threatening, since Trump said he would be arrested. From the suit:
“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.”
In a statement, Bragg said Jordan’s subpoena was “an unconstitutional attempt to undermine an ongoing New York felony criminal prosecution and investigation.”
Bragg named Pomerantz in the suit with the intention of blocking his testimony should Jordan’s subpoena proceed. Jordan is the House Judiciary Committee chairman, and last month he sent letters to Bragg’s office demanding testimony, communications, and documents from the Trump case. Bragg said he has no authority to do so.
“Congress lacks any valid legislative purpose to engage in a free-ranging campaign of harassment in retaliation for the District Attorney’s investigation and prosecution of Mr. Trump under the laws of New York,” the lawsuit said. It went on to share that Congress has no authority “to oversee, let alone disrupt, ongoing state law criminal matters.”
Jordan responded to the lawsuit on Twitter.
“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.”
Did Jordan not use federal funds to subpoena Pomerantz? Was he not going to use federal funds for a planned field hearing in Manhattan on April 17? This is like getting mad that you’re wet when you’re in the ocean. What a world.
Things are only going to get more contentious from here. We’ll keep you posted.