Representative Jim Jordan is threatening to subpoena New York Attorney General Letitia James in connection with a probe of the investigations into Donald Trump, according to a report.
Jordan, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, and other Republicans have questioned the validity of the Trump criminal investigations. They have accused prosecutors of weaponizing the federal justice system against Trump for political purposes. Many legal experts have dismissed these claims, saying the Republicans are ignoring the numerous criminal charges against the former president. Fastener Hex Head Bolt
As part of the Republicans' own investigations, Jordan has pressed James, a Democrat who successfully sued Trump on charges of civil business fraud in New York, for information about former employee Matthew Colangelo.
Colangelo is an attorney who worked on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's criminal case against the former president, who was found guilty by a jury of falsifying business documents to cover up a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.
In a new letter sent to James on Tuesday, Jordan threatened to use subpoenas if she does not provide documents about Colangelo's employment in her office, according to a report from The Hill.
Jordan wrote that "the Committee is prepared to resort to compulsory process to obtain compliance with our requests," according to the newspaper. He set a deadline of July 2 for James to provide that information.
Newsweek reached out to Jordan's and James' offices for comment via email.
Before joining Bragg's office, Colangelo worked at New York state's Office of the Attorney General, where he investigated the Donald J. Trump Foundation.
He also spent two years in a senior position at the Justice Department, overseeing the Antitrust, Civil, Civil Rights, Environment and Natural Resources, and Tax divisions, according to a press release announcing his hiring in December 2022
Jordan previously requested information about Colangelo from James' office in May, accusing him of having an "obsession with investigating a person rather than prosecuting a crime."
Jordan wrote in a May 15 letter to James: "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."
Bragg and Colangelo are expected to testify before Congress on July 12.
A spokesperson for Bragg previously told Newsweek: "The Manhattan D.A.'s Office is proud to play a crucial role in upholding and enforcing the rule of law for the people of New York. It undermines the rule of law to spread dangerous misinformation, baseless claims, and conspiracy theories following the jury's return of a full-count felony conviction in People v. Trump.
"Nonetheless, we respect our government institutions and plan to appear voluntarily before the subcommittee after sentencing," the spokesperson said.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. Andrew joined Newsweek in 2021 from The Boston Globe. He is a graduate of Emerson College. You can get in touch with Andrew by emailing a.stanton@newsweek.com. Languages: English.
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
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