Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has filed a lawsuit against House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) over what the suit filed Tuesday describes as a “campaign to intimidate and attack” the district attorney and interfere in his office’s case against former President Donald Trump.
Bragg’s lawsuit looks to prevent Jordan’s interference and obstruction of the criminal case against Trump, as Jordan has threatened that his committee may be indicting DA Bragg over his investigation of Trump.
The 50-page complaint seeks to block a subpoena for testimony from Mark Pomerantz, a former senior prosecutor in his office, as well as other demands for “confidential documents and testimony from the district attorney himself as well as his current and former employees and officials.” It also slams Jordan and other members of his committee for “participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation, and obstruction” with the prosecutor, saying that a slew of threats directed at him in recent weeks are being fueled by the lawmakers.
The lawsuit also asks a federal judge to give emergency and permanent relief that would block enforcement of Jordan’s subpoena for Pomerantz to testify on April 20.
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“In sum, 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, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, states.
“That campaign is a direct threat to federalism and the sovereign interests of the State of New York. This Court should enjoin the subpoena and put an end to this constitutionally destructive fishing expedition.”
Jordan criticized the lawsuit in a tweet on Tuesday, writing: “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.”
In the suit, Bragg slams Jordan’s assertion that $5,000 in federal funds used in relation to his office’s investigation into Trump that led to the indictment gives the committee grounds to investigate.
Counsel for Bragg’s office previously said it would comply with a committee request for information on the use of federal funds.
In his filing, Bragg slammed Jordan and other members of his committee for “participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation, and obstruction” with the prosecutor, saying that a slew of threats directed at him in recent weeks are being fueled by the lawmakers.
Bragg has characterized Jordan’s actions as “an unprecedently brazen and unconstitutional attack by members of Congress.”
Read the lawsuit here.
