Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has agreed to testify before a congressional subcommittee controlled by Republicans, however, it’s expected to happen after the sentencing of former President Donald Trump in July.
In late May, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, reached out to Bragg following Trump’s conviction in his hush money trial. Jordan accused Bragg of carrying out a “political prosecution” and requested his testimony at a hearing scheduled for June 13.
In a response letter, Leslie Dubeck, general counsel for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, stated that the prosecutor’s office was “committed to voluntary cooperation.”
The letter further mentioned that this cooperation included making Bragg, a Democrat, available to testify “at an agreed-upon date.” However, it stated that the date proposed by Jordan presented “various scheduling conflicts.”
The statement emphasized that the Trump prosecution is still ongoing. Trump, convicted of falsifying records to conceal hush money paid to a porn actor during the 2016 presidential campaign, is set to be sentenced on July 11. Before the sentencing, prosecutors will provide recommendations to the judge regarding Trump’s appropriate punishment.
“The trial court and reviewing appellate courts have issued numerous orders for the purpose of protecting the fair administration of justice in People v. Trump, and to participate in a public hearing at this time would be potentially detrimental to those efforts,” the letter said.
Bragg’s office requested a chance to discuss an alternative date with the subcommittee and gather additional details regarding “the scope and purpose of the proposed hearing.”
Jordan has also requested testimony from Matthew Colangelo, a key prosecutor in the Trump case. While Bragg’s office didn’t dismiss the idea outright, they mentioned in the letter that they would “evaluate the propriety” of permitting an assistant district attorney to testify publicly about an ongoing prosecution.
Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, has suggested withholding federal funding from any organization that seeks to prosecute a former president. He has also strongly criticized what he perceives as the “weaponization of the federal government.”
His committee previously fought to obtain a deposition from Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor involved in Trump’s case, despite initial objections from Bragg. However, the deposition yielded limited results, as Pomerantz declined to answer numerous questions, citing concerns that doing so could expose him to criminal prosecution for revealing secret grand jury testimony.
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