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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan from Ohio is seeking the testimony of the senior counsel to the Manhattan District Attorney who previously worked at the Department of Justice.
Jordan asked on Friday, in a letter to Matthew Colangelo, Manhattan District Attorney’s senior counsel, for his voluntary cooperation in relation to the committee’s investigation into the indictment of former President Donald Trump.
“Given your history of working for law-enforcement entities that are pursuing President Trump and the public reporting surrounding your decision to work for the New York County District Attorney’s Office, we request your cooperation with our oversight in your personal capacity,” Jordan wrote in the letter.
“According to news reports, District Attorney Alvin Bragg hired you in December 2022 to ‘jump-start’ his office’s investigation of President Trump, reportedly due to your ‘history of taking on Donald J. Trump and his family business.’ You had previously served in senior positions in the U.S. Department of Justice and the New York Attorney General’s Office, both of which had competing investigations related to President Trump,” the letter adds.
Jordan also requested that Colangelo hand over any documents dated between June 22, 2021, and December 5, 2022, relating to any communication with the New York County District Attorney’s Office discussing Trump or the Trump organization.
“You are uniquely situated to provide information that is relevant and necessary to inform the Committee’s oversight and potential legislative reforms. Your recent employment has largely been focused on investigations surrounding President Trump,” the letter states.
Jordan’s letter came a day after Bragg criticized the committee for issuing a subpoena for a former prosecutor in his office.
“The House GOP continues to attempt to undermine an active investigation and ongoing New York criminal case with an unprecedented campaign of harassment and intimidation. Repeated efforts to weaken state and local law enforcement actions are an abuse of power and will not deter us from our duty to uphold the law. These elected officials would better serve their constituents and the country, and fulfill their oath of office, by doing their jobs in Congress and not intruding on the sovereignty of the state of New York by interfering in an ongoing criminal matter in state court,” Bragg said.
The House Judiciary Committee also announced Monday that they will hold a field hearing in New York City to “examine how Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s pro-crime, anti-victim policies have led to an increase in violent crime and a dangerous community for New York City residents.”
After the indictment of former President Trump, Jim Jordan accused Bragg of “unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority” and demanded that Bragg testifies before Congress.
“In light of the serious consequences of your actions, we expect that you will testify about what plainly appears to be a politically motivated prosecutorial decision,” Jordan wrote in a letter to Bragg last month.
House Republicans have not announced witness for the hearing next week, titled “Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan,” but said it would take place at 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, April 17 at the Javits Federal Building.
