Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office on Friday charged that House Republicans who are calling for handing over documents and testimony in his investigation into former President Donald Trump are committing “unlawful political interference” in an active criminal case.
Leslie Dubeck, the general counsel for Bragg”s office, addressed a letter on Friday to three senior House Republicans, denouncing their “baseless and inflammatory allegations that our investigation is politically motivated.”
Trump was indicted on Thursday by a Manhattan Grand jury for his role in organizing hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. The indictment marks the first time a president has been charged in a criminal matter and comes as several other law enforcement entities are investigating Trump for possible criminal charges. It also comes at a time when Trump is a declared candidate for the 20204 presidential race, calling into question how the unprecedented indictment may impact his attempt to secure the Republican nomination.
Dubeck”s letter, sent to GOP chairs of the House Judiciary, House Administration and Oversight and Accountability committees, alleged the Republican leaders were interfering in the ongoing New York probe into Trump, Fox News reported.
“The Committees’ attempted interference with an ongoing state criminal investigation &mdash and now prosecution &mdash is an unprecedented and illegal incursion on New York’s sovereign interests,” Dubeck wrote.
“Congress has no warrant for interfering with individual criminal investigations &mdash much less investigations conducted by a separate sovereign,” the letter said. “Moreover, your examination of the facts of a single criminal investigation, for the supposed purpose of determining whether any charges against Mr. Trump are warranted, is an improper and dangerous usurpation of the executive and judicial functions.”
Dubeck slammed the Republicans for what he described as their suggestion that “Congress may consider legislation to shield former presidents from state criminal investigations for “personal acts” that do not involve their conduct in office.”
“Even worse, based on your reportedly close collaboration with Mr. Trump in attacking this office and the grand jury process, it appears that you are acting more like criminal defense counsel trying to gather evidence for a client than a legislative body seeking to achieve a legitimate legislative objective,” the letter alleged.
It continued: “Indeed, we doubt that Congress would have authority to place a single private citizen &mdash including a former president or candidate for president &mdash above the law or to grant him unique protections, such as removal to federal court, that are unavailable to every other criminal defendant,” Dubeck wrote.
“Even if you were seriously considering such legislation and had the constitutional authority to enact it (which you do not), your request for information from the District Attorney and his former attorneys concerning an ongoing criminal probe is unnecessary and unjustified,” he added.
He called the House Republican leadership”s stated intent to subpoena Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg unconstitutional.
“We trust you will make a good-faith effort to reach a negotiated resolution before taking the unprecedented and unconstitutional step of serving a subpoena on a district attorney for information related to an ongoing state criminal prosecution,” Dubeck”s letter concluded.
