In a letter sent to three top House Republican chairmen Friday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office accused GOP lawmakers of engaging in “unlawful political interference” of its ongoing case against former President Donald Trump.
Following reports of Trump’s potential indictment earlier this month, the Republican-led House Judiciary and Oversight committees sent a letter to Bragg demanding that he turn over documents related to his Trump investigation and testify before Congress.
Leslie B. Dubeck, the general counsel for Bragg’s office, fired back at the GOP’s “baseless and inflammatory allegations that our investigation is politically motivated.”
“The Committees’ attempted interference with an ongoing state criminal investigation — and now prosecution — is an unprecedented and illegal incursion on New York’s sovereign interests,” Dubeck wrote. “We will not be intimidated by attempts to undermine the justice process, nor will we let baseless accusations deter us from fairly applying the law.”
Bragg has been investigating Trump’s alleged “hush money” payment of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump has denied allegations that he had an affair with Daniels in 2006, and falsified business records to keep the payment concealed.
A Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict Trump on unspecified charges related to the case.
House Oversight and Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) told Fox News that he and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, are concerned about potential coordination between Merrick Garland’s Justice Department and “all these different entities that are going after Trump.”
“They are doing everything in their ability to create a narrative that would hurt Donald Trump,” Comer added.
Dozens of conservative lawmakers and pundits have condemned the unprecedented action against the former president.
“This is a dark moment in the history of our Nation,” wrote Arizona Republican Kari Lake on social media. “The Radical Left and their weaponized criminal justice system have crossed all legal & ethical lines in an attempt to destroy the 45th & 47th President of the United State of America Donald J. Trump. It only makes him stronger.”
“Real America knows this is all a sham,” said Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas).
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise called the indictment “outrageous.”
“The sham New York indictment of President Donald Trump is one of the clearest examples of extremist Democrats weaponizing government to attack their political opponents,” Scalise wrote.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also spoke out against the prosecution on Twitter Thursday after the indictment was made public.
“Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,” McCarthy wrote. “As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump. The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account.”
Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election.
As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump.
The American people will not…
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) March 30, 2023
Thursday night on Fox News’ Hannity, George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley said that if the indictment follows the dubious legal theories being talked about in the case, it is “a raw political prosecution.”
Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz also blasted the indictment in a telephone interview with The Epoch Times. “In 60 years of practice, this is the worst case of prosecutorial abuse I have ever seen,” Dershowitz said.
Trump lashed out at the judge in the case Friday on his platform Truth Social.
“The Judge ‘assigned’ to my Witch Hunt Case, a ‘Case’ that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME. His name is Juan Manuel Marchan, was hand picked by Bragg & the Prosecutors, & is the same person who “railroaded” my 75 year old former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, to take a “plea” deal (Plead GUILTY, even if you are not, 90 DAYS, fight us in Court, 10 years (life!) in jail. He strong armed Allen, which a judge is not allowed to do, & treated my companies, which didn’t “plead,” VICIOUSLY. APPEALING!” Trump wrote.
“They only brought this Fake, Corrupt, and Disgraceful Charge against me because I stand with the American People, and they know that I cannot get a fair trial in New York!” Trump said in a separate post.
In a statement, the former president predicted that the prosecution will “backfire massively” on Democrats.
“I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden. The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our Movement, and our Party – united and strong—will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump said.
Biden and the White House, meanwhile, are keeping mum on the Trump indictment.
BREAKING: Joe Biden responds to Donald Trump’s indictment: “I have no comment on Trump.” pic.twitter.com/Nqir3SKeV1
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) March 31, 2023
In a tweet Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vowed that his administration would not cooperate with Bragg’s efforts to extradite Trump to New York.
“Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,” DeSantis wrote in a statement condemning the indictment.
The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head.
It is un-American.
The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 30, 2023
Trump, however, is planning to turn himself in next week, according to Fox News.
A source told Fox News Digital that Bragg “had requested Trump’s surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office by Friday—the day after the indictment—but that timeline was extended due to arrangements needed to be made by Secret Service.”
The source said Trump will “most likely” surrender on Tuesday of Holy Week.