Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg sues Jim Jordan over alleged interference in Trump case
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sued Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Tuesday, asking a court to stop a GOP-led congressional inquiry into Bragg's indictment of former President Donald Trump.
Bragg's lawsuit calls the inquiry, conducted by the House Judiciary Committee, an "unprecedently brazen and unconstitutional attack" into an ongoing criminal investigation.
"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 added, noting that the Constitution does not give Congress the power to interfere in state investigations.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump was charged last week with 34 felony counts of fraud tied to hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels right before the 2016 election. The former president pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Bragg's lawsuit comes after Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, subpoenaed Mark Pomerantz, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney who had previously investigated Trump. Bragg asked for this subpoena to be quashed, arguing in the lawsuit that allowing the Republican-led committee to question Pomerantz would cause "imminent irreparable harm if the secret and privileged material is compelled to be disclosed."
In a statement accompanying the lawsuit, NBC News reported, Bragg said that Jordan's actions constitute "an unconstitutional attempt to undermine an ongoing New York felony criminal prosecution and investigation," and "an unprecedented, illegitimate interference by Congress that lacks any legal merit and defies basic principles of federalism."
In response to the lawsuit, Jordan tweeted, "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."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
An initial hearing on Bragg's lawsuit has been scheduled for April 19.
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
6 homes for entertainingFeature Featuring a heated greenhouse in Pennsylvania and a glamorous oasis in California
-
Obesity drugs: Will Trump’s plan lower costs?Feature Even $149 a month, the advertised price for a starting dose of a still-in-development GLP-1 pill on TrumpRx, will be too big a burden for the many Americans ‘struggling to afford groceries’
-
The ‘Kavanaugh stop’Feature Activists say a Supreme Court ruling has given federal agents a green light to racially profile Latinos
-
Affordability: Does Trump have an answer?Feature Trump ‘refuses to admit there is a problem’
-
Ecuador rejects push to allow US military basesSpeed Read Voters rejected a repeal of a constitutional ban on US and other foreign military bases in the country
-
Trump pivots on Epstein vote amid GOP defectionsSpeed Read The president said House Republicans should vote on a forced release of the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein files
-
Is Marjorie Taylor Greene undergoing a political realignment?TALKING POINTS The MAGA firebrand made a name for herself in Congress as one of Trump’s most unapologetic supporters. One year into Trump’s second term, a shift is afoot.
-
How are these Epstein files so damaging to Trump?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Republicans and Democrats release dueling tranches of Epstein-related documents, the White House finds itself caught in a mess partially of its own making
-
Will California tax its billionaires?Talking Points A proposed one-time levy would shore up education and Medicaid
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
