Bragg Accuses House GOP of ‘Unlawful Political Interference’

In a letter sent Friday to three top House Republican chairmen, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s office has fired back at House Republicans who are demanding documents and testimony about their case against former President Trump, calling the GOP lawmakers’ demands “unlawful political interference” in an ongoing criminal case.

Leslie B. Dubeck, the general counsel for Bragg’s office, slammed their “baseless and inflammatory allegations that our investigation is politically motivated.” Dubeck wrote, “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.”

Bragg has been investigating Trump’s alleged involvement in hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep her quiet about claims she had an illicit affair with Trump years before while he was running for president. Trump has denied having sexual encounters with Daniels and denies falsifying business records to keep the payment concealed. In an historic move, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump on charges related to the case

Dubeck’s letter also argues that Congress does not have a legitimate purpose in seeking information on the Trump case, and that such a review by lawmakers “is an improper and dangerous usurpation of the executive and judicial functions.”

“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 charged.

“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.’ 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 wrote.

“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 unfounded allegations that the Office’s investigation, conducted via an independent grand jury of average citizens serving New York State, is politically motivated,” she continued.

“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.”

The only unlawful political interference here is the politically-motivated indictment itself.