For as much chaos and controversy that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg already has plunged the country into, it appears he’s not done yet.
On Thursday, the New York prosecutor’s office announced the indictment of Donald Trump — the first of a former president in the nation’s history — and in the process turned both the real world and the political world upside-down.
But while those worlds were still trying to process the divisive legal happenings, the Democratic district attorney made sure to single out one more entity he and his office were watching.
That entity would be Republican Party — or, at least, certain prominent GOP figures.
In a rather accusatory letter addressed to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Bryan Steil of Wisconsin and James Comer of Kentucky (all Republicans) on Friday, Bragg’s office appeared to issue a warning to the triumvirate — while saying it wasn’t particularly keen on cooperating with them.
Jordan, Steil and Comer — the chairmen, respectively, of the House Judiciary, Administration and Oversight committees — have spearheaded Republican efforts to get more transparency from Bragg’s office in terms of what and how exactly it was embarking on something that had never been done in American history.
The letter, signed Leslie Dubeck, general counsel in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, said, “Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State’s robust criminal procedure affords.”
“What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State,” Dubeck continued in a retort to the inquisitive letters sent by the GOP congressmen.
She then blasted the lawmakers’ questioning, calling it an “unprecedented request” to see “confidential information.”
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After outlining why Bragg’s office had refused to cooperate with the initial investigation, Dubeck told the GOP leaders to lower the temperature in the kitchen.
“Finally, as you are no doubt aware, former President Trump has directed harsh invective against District Attorney Bragg and threatened on social media that his arrest or indictment in New York may unleash ‘death & destruction,’” she wrote, referencing Trump’s emotional Truth Social posts.
“As Committee Chairmen, you could use the stature of your office to denounce these attacks and urge respect for the fairness of our justice system and for the work of the impartial grand jury,” Dubeck continued.
“Instead, you and many of your colleagues have chosen to collaborate with Mr. Trump’s efforts to vilify and denigrate the integrity of elected state prosecutors and trial judges and made unfound allegations that the Office’s investigation, conducted via an independent grand jury of average citizens serving New York State, is politically motivated,” she said.
Dubeck ended the letter with something that falls just shy of being a threat.
“We urge you to refrain from these inflammatory accusations, withdraw your demand for information, and let the criminal justice process proceed without unlawful political interference,” Dubeck said.
“If you will not withdraw your request, we reiterate our willingness to meet and confer with you or your staff about how we can accommodate your request without violating our obligations as prosecutors to protect the integrity of an ongoing criminal prosecution,” she wrote.
Finally, Dubeck ended the letter by reiterating that it was the GOP, not Bragg’s office, that was making political history.
Dubeck Letter by The Western Journal
“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,” she said.
Comer didn’t seem inclined to lower the temperature Friday morning.
“The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has weaponized his office to launch a blatantly political indictment,” the congressman said on Twitter.
“This case rests on a far-fetched legal theory untested anywhere in the U.S.,” he said.
The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has weaponized his office to launch a blatantly political indictment.
This case rests on a far-fetched legal theory untested anywhere in the U.S. The American people deserve better than this cheap, political stunt. @foxandfriends pic.twitter.com/wygnKf4cEk
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) March 31, 2023
“The American people deserve better than this cheap, political stunt,” Comer said.
