Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), and Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) sent a letter to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg informing him they have jurisdiction over his investigation into former President Donald Trump.
Bragg has maintained the House committees do not have authority to investigate his investigation into Trump allegedly paying hush money to Stormy Daniels to keep a supposed affair secret. Bragg's investigation has been called into question on a legal basis for pursing considering other authorities have decided to not move forward with charges in the past.
The GOP chairmen's letter asserts Bragg's response did not address their points laid out in the initial request for him to cooperate:
"Moreover, you are apparently attempting to upgrade a misdemeanor charge to a felony using an untested legal theory at the same time when you are simultaneously downgrading felony charges to misdemeanors in a majority of other cases in your jurisdiction.
Contrary to the central argument set forth in your letter, this matter does not simply involve local and state interests. Rather, the potential criminal indictment of a former President of the United States by an elected local prosecutor of the opposing political part...implicates substantial federal interests, particularly in a jurisdiction where trial-level judges are also popularly elected."
The letter ends with a deadline of March 31 for Bragg to comply with committees' inquiry.
Bragg and his office have so far remained defiant to Congress. The New York Post reported an aide to Bragg told a House Judiciary staffer, "Your committee has no jurisdiction over us. You’re wrong. Stop calling us with this bulls—t,” after he made multiple attempts to get in touch by phone.
