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By Andrew Stanton
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Representative Jim Jordan is asking New York Attorney General Letitia James to hand over documents and communications related to a prosecutor working on former President Donald Trump's hush money case.
Jordan, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to James requesting all documents and communications about Matthew Colangelo, an attorney working for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg previously employed by James' office and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Bragg's office is trying Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to an alleged hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Bragg alleged the payment was meant to prevent her from speaking publicly about her claims of having an affair with the former president.
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Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges. He maintains his innocence and has accused Bragg and other prosecutors of targeting him for political purposes, criticizing the trial as a form of election interference.
Trump supporters have raised concerns about Colangelo's previous experience at the DOJ, where he also worked on cases involving the former president.
Republicans have accused prosecutors of unjustly targeting Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, for political purposes. Some conservatives have also spread claims that the connection is evidence that President Joe Biden is behind the prosecution, but no evidence has been presented to support those allegations.
Jordan's committee has been probing what he views as the "weaponization" of the legal system against Trump and other conservatives. His letter to James comes amid his efforts to look into these concerns. In the letter, he expressed concerns about "the perception that the Justice Department is assisting in District Attorney Bragg's politicized prosecution."
"The fact that a former senior Biden DOJ official—whose previous employment consisted of leading 'a wave of state litigation against Trump administration policies'—is now leading the prosecution of President Biden's chief political rival only adds to the perception that the Biden DOJ is politicized and weaponized," Jordan wrote.
He argued that Colangelo's employment shows an alleged "obsession with investigating a person rather than prosecuting a crime."
Jordan requested all documents and communications since January 1, 2017, between Colangelo and any employee of the Manhattan DA's Office, the Fulton County DA's Office in Georgia (where Trump is facing election interference charges), the DOJ, the Democratic National Committee or Biden for President referring to or related to Trump, The Trump Organization and any other entity associated with Trump, according to the letter.
He also requested all personnel files related to Colangelo's hiring, employment or termination at the AG's office. Jordan asked James to deliver all files to him by May 29, 2024, at 5 p.m.
Newsweek reached out to James' and Bragg's offices for comment via email.
Colangelo spent two years in a senior position at the DOJ, overseeing the Antitrust, Civil, Civil Rights, Environment and Natural Resources, and Tax divisions, according to a press release announcing his hiring in December 2022
In the press release, Bragg wrote: "Matthew Colangelo brings a wealth of economic justice experience combined with complex white-collar investigations, and he has the sound judgment and integrity needed to pursue justice against powerful people and institutions when they abuse their power."
It also noted that Colangelo worked at the New York State Office of the Attorney General, where he investigated the Trump Foundation.
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