Rep. Jim Jordan has written to Attorney General Merrick Garland seeking records regarding one of the Department of Justice’s most senior former employees.
In his letter, dated April 30, the chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary said that the committee was “conducting oversight” of what he called “politically motivated prosecutions,” specifically those launched last year against former President Donald Trump.
Jordan wrote seeking records regarding former Acting Associate Attorney General Matthew Colangelo, one of the men in New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office who is leading the prosecution of Trump regarding 34 counts of first degree falsification of business records.
Typically, such crimes are prosecuted as misdemeanors, but Bragg has claimed that since Trump allegedly falsified those records to “prevent or promote [his own] election” to office — itself another misdemeanor — the counts rise to the felony level, Fox News reported.
Colangelo’s case relies heavily on the testimony of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who himself had been investigated by the Department of Justice and pleaded guilty to eight charges.
“As the Committee has previously explained, Bragg’s politicized prosecution of President Trump has serious consequences for federal interests,” Jordan wrote.
“That a former senior Biden Justice Department official is now leading the prosecution of President Biden’s chief political rival only adds to the perception that the Biden Justice Department is politicized and weaponized,” he added.
Jordan requested copies of correspondence regarding Trump between Colangelo and other government offices — including the New York County District Attorney’s Office, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, and the Department of Justice’s Special Counsel’s Office, all of which are currently involved in active criminal prosecutions against the former president.
He is also seeking any correspondence between Colangelo and the office of New York Attorney General Leticia James, who filed a civil suit against Trump claiming that he had lied on financial statements in an attempt to secure more favorable terms on bank loans.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts in every case and has repeatedly argued that the criminal charges against him are politically motivated.
Jordan also wants to see any documents involving Colangelo’s employment history at the DOJ and those related to the two convictions of Cohen.
You can read Jordan’s letter in its entirety below.
2024-04-30 JDJ to Garland Re Colangelo by The Western Journal on Scribd
The letter requests that all such documents be turned over to by the close of business on May 14 — a deadline that seems highly unlikely to be met.
Witness testimony in the hush money case being prosecuted by Bragg began on April 22, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks, according to The Associated Press.
Interested readers can find the Judiciary Committee’s news release regarding Jordan’s letter here.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
