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.
-
Political cartoons for December 12Cartoons Friday's political cartoons include presidential piracy, emissions capping, and the Argentina bailout
-
The Week Unwrapped: what’s scuppering Bulgaria’s Euro dream?Podcast Plus has Syria changed, a year on from its revolution? And why are humans (mostly) monogamous?
-
Will there be peace before Christmas in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Discussions over the weekend could see a unified set of proposals from EU, UK and US to present to Moscow
-
Will there be peace before Christmas in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Discussions over the weekend could see a unified set of proposals from EU, UK and US to present to Moscow
-
‘The menu’s other highlights smack of the surreal’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
-
US seizes oil tanker off VenezuelaSpeed Read The seizure was a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
-
The Trump administration says it deports dangerous criminals. ICE data tells a different story.IN THE SPOTLIGHT Arrest data points to an inconvenient truth for the White House’s ongoing deportation agenda
