Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg is suing Republican representative Jim Jordan (Ohio) for an alleged "unprecedently brazen and unconstitutional attack" on his office’s investigation into former president Donald Trump’s business dealings.
Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is probing Bragg’s office after it brought 34 felony charges against Trump last week for allegedly falsifying business records. Bragg called the investigation a "transparent campaign to intimidate and attack" him and his office.
Bragg is specifically seeking emergency and permanent relief to stop a subpoena against his former deputy Mark Pomerantz, whom Jordan ordered to testify on April 20. Pomerantz left the Manhattan district attorney's office in February 2022 over Bragg’s decision to "indefinitely suspend" the investigation into Trump, who Pomerantz said is guilty.
"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 says.
Pomerantz wrote last year in his resignation letter that he believes "Donald Trump is guilty of numerous felony violations."
Bragg also wants to halt Jordan’s attempt to obtain "confidential documents and testimony from the district attorney himself."
Jordan responded to the suit on Twitter, saying, "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."
The House Judiciary Committee tweeted after the subpoena announcement that "Pomerantz’s public statements" on the investigation suggest "that Bragg’s prosecution of President Trump is politically motivated."
House Republicans have zeroed in on Bragg since late March after Trump announced his imminent arrest. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) said getting Bragg on the witness stand was a "top priority."
Trump was arraigned in a New York City courthouse on April 4, where he was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records surrounding hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Republicans and some in the media have criticized Bragg for the charges, which Vox called "painfully anticlimactic."