On Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a lawsuit against House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, accusing him of attempting to interfere with the case against former President Donald Trump. The lawsuit adds further legal complications to Bragg’s investigation into Trump, which has faced allegations from Republicans that the prosecutor’s pursuit of the former president was politically motivated.
Bragg’s suit seeks to block a subpoena from Jordan for testimony from Mark Pomerantz, a former senior prosecutor in Bragg’s office, and other demands for “confidential documents and testimony from the district attorney himself well as his current and former employees and officials.” The 50-page lawsuit asks a federal court to grant emergency and permanent relief to block enforcement of Jordan’s subpoena for Pomerantz to testify on April 20th. Pomerantz previously informed Jordan that he would not cooperate with the subpoena per instructions from Bragg’s office.
US District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil denied Bragg’s request for emergency relief later that day, but the court could still block the subpoena through other forms of relief. A hearing on the matter has been set for April 19th.
According to the lawsuit, Bragg is seeking to prevent a “free-ranging campaign of harassment” from Jordan, which Bragg claims lacks any valid legislative purpose to engage in retaliation for his investigation and prosecution of Trump under New York State law. Bragg also alleges that Trump, Jordan, and other members of his committee are participating in a “campaign of intimidation, retaliation, and obstruction” against him, with the prosecutor receiving numerous threats in recent weeks that he claims are being fueled by lawmakers.
Jordan subpoenaed Pomerantz late last week for his role investigating Trump and his business empire, with House Republicans claiming that Bragg’s indictment of the former president was politically motivated. Pomerantz resigned from the Manhattan DA’s office in 2022 and said in his resignation letter that the former president was “guilty of numerous felony violations” concerning his annual financial statements. He resigned a day after Bragg informed him that he wasn’t prepared to move forward with criminal charges.
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges of falsifying business records in Manhattan criminal court last week.
