Rep. Jim Jordan has penned a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting documents related to a high-ranking former employee of the Department of Justice. Dated April 30, the chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary stated that the committee was overseeing what he referred to as “politically motivated prosecutions,” particularly those initiated last year against former President Donald Trump.
Jordan’s correspondence sought records concerning former Acting Associate Attorney General Matthew Colangelo, a member of New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s team leading the prosecution of Trump on 34 counts of first-degree falsification of business records.
Typically, such offenses are treated as misdemeanors. However, Bragg argued that since Trump allegedly falsified the records to influence his election campaign, the charges should be elevated to felonies. This information was reported by Fox News. The case against Colangelo heavily relies on the testimony of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who had previously been under investigation by the Department of Justice and had pleaded guilty to eight charges.
“As the Committee has previously explained, Bragg’s politicized prosecution of President Trump has serious consequences for federal interests,” Jordan wrote.
“That a former senior Biden Justice Department official is now leading the prosecution of President Biden’s chief political rival only adds to the perception that the Biden Justice Department is politicized and weaponized,” he added.
Jordan has requested copies of correspondence related to Trump between Colangelo and various government offices, such as the New York County District Attorney’s Office, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, and the Department of Justice’s Special Counsel’s Office. These offices are currently engaged in active criminal prosecutions against the former president. Additionally, he is looking for any communication between Colangelo and the office of New York Attorney General Leticia James, who has filed a civil suit against Trump alleging that he falsified financial statements to obtain more favorable terms on bank loans.
Trump has maintained his innocence in all cases and has claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated. Jordan is also interested in reviewing any documents related to Colangelo’s employment history at the DOJ and any materials pertaining to the convictions of Cohen.
The deadline for submitting all the mentioned documents is May 14, which appears to be highly improbable to meet. The trial for the hush money case, led by Bragg, commenced on April 22 and is anticipated to endure for a duration of six to eight weeks, as reported by The Associated Press.
