The top of the Home Judiciary Committee desires the Justice Division at hand over data about its former No. 3 official who’s heading up the Manhattan prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) fired off a letter to Lawyer Basic Merrick Garland on Tuesday requesting particulars in regards to the work of former DOJ official Matthew Colangelo.
Colangelo, who served as appearing and later principal deputy affiliate legal professional basic throughout the first two years of the Biden administration, joined Bragg’s crew for the Trump “hush cash” case in December 2022.
“Since final 12 months, popularly elected prosecutors — who campaigned for workplace on the promise of prosecuting President Trump — engaged in an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority: the indictment of a former President of america and present main candidate for that workplace,” Jordan wrote in the letter, obtained by The Submit.
“New York County District Lawyer (DANY) Alvin Bragg is engaged in a single such politicized prosecution, which is being led partly by Matthew B. Colangelo.”
The Judiciary chairman famous that the New York state legal professional basic’s workplace beforehand employed Colangelo for different lawsuits in opposition to the previous president’s administration — earlier than he was employed by the DOJ when Biden took workplace.
Bragg’s workplace tapped Colangelo to “bounce begin” the investigation of Trump that resulted in 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying enterprise data about funds to the then-presidential candidate’s authorized fixer Michael Cohen throughout the 2016 election cycle.
Cohen later funneled the funds to ex-Nationwide Enquirer writer David Pecker to bury tales about affairs Trump allegedly had with ex-Playboy mannequin Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels.
The $130,000 and $150,000 funds to Daniels, whose actual identify is Stephanie Clifford, and McDougal, respectively, occurred after the 2016 election, however Trump allegedly informed Cohen to purchase their silence beforehand.
In courtroom final week, Colangelo described the so-called “hush cash” as “election fraud. Clear and easy.”
“We’ll by no means know — and it doesn’t matter — whether or not this conspiracy was the difference-maker in a detailed election,” he stated, referring to Trump’s upset win over Hillary Clinton.
Jordan expressed different considerations in regards to the prosecution, on condition that the Justice Division beforehand declined to take up the case and Cohen — Bragg’s “star witness” — has pleaded responsible to mendacity to Congress and served time in jail himself.
“Because the Committee has beforehand defined, Bragg’s politicized prosecution of President Trump has severe penalties for federal pursuits,” he stated.
“{That a} former senior Biden Justice Division official is now main the prosecution of President Biden’s chief political rival solely provides to the notion that the Biden Justice Division is politicized and weaponized.”
Jordan’s panel has requested all related inner data involving Colangelo, Cohen, and coordination between the DOJ and Bragg’s workplace on the Trump case by Could 14.
The Submit has reached out to the Justice Division for remark.
Supply hyperlink
