Unlawful Political Interference
The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has accused House Republicans of "unlawful political interference" in an ongoing criminal case against former President Donald Trump. The office has fired back against Republicans who are demanding documents and testimony related to their case against Trump. The General Counsel for Bragg's office, Leslie B. Dubeck, slammed the GOP lawmakers' demands as baseless and inflammatory.
Indictment Against Trump
Former President Trump has become the first American president to be indicted on criminal charges. Bragg's office has been investigating Trump's alleged involvement in hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep her quiet about claims she had an illicit affair with Trump years before while he was running for president. Trump has denied having sexual encounters with Daniels and denies falsifying business records to keep the payment concealed.
GOP Accusations
Numerous Republican officials have expressed outrage at the charges and accused the Democratic prosecutor of being politically motivated. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and the other top Republicans on the Administration and Oversight committees sent a letter to Bragg last week demanding that he turn over documents related to his Trump investigation and testify before Congress after reports said that Trump could face an indictment.
Legal and Financial Contributions
Bragg's office has reiterated its position that Congress does not have a legitimate purpose in seeking information on the Trump case. The letter also emphasized that the DA's office has contributed more than $1 billion to the federal government through asset forfeiture funds in the past 15 years. DA records indicate that approximately $5,000 was spent on expenses incurred relating to the Trump or Trump Organization investigations.
Conclusion
The letter from Dubeck's office concluded with a harsh rebuke of Republican efforts to exercise oversight over the district attorney's investigation. It also criticized Republican officials for collaborating with Trump's efforts to vilify and denigrate the integrity of elected state prosecutors and trial judges. The DA's office has vowed to continue its investigation and to fairly apply the law, undeterred by attempts to undermine the justice process.
