Just as he did when former President Trump was indicted in New York, Rep. Jim Jordan has announced an investigation into Trump’s RICO indictment in Georgia.
Trump Calling In His Allies for Help?
Earlier this year, when Donald Trump was indicted for the first of four times this year, in New York, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, vowed a probe. He subpoenaed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who went on to refuse cooperation and even to file a lawsuit against Jordan.
Bragg described the Jordan investigation as an “unprecedently brazen and unconstitutional attack by members of Congress on an ongoing New York State criminal prosecution and investigation of former President Donald J. Trump.”
Traditionally, Congress has no oversight of local prosecutions and can do nothing about the actions of local prosecutors or stop their prosecutions. But that didn’t stop Jordan from probing the Manhattan case- or from doing the same thing about Trump’s latest state indictment.
Per The Hill, Jordan has “fired off a sweeping request for documents dealing with former President Trump’s prosecution for election interference in Georgia,” on the same day that Trump is scheduled to surrender to authorities in Georgia about that case.
“When states rely on acts like these—taken in connection with official duties— to criminally prosecute federal officers, it raises serious concerns under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and poses a threat to the operations of the federal government. The threat of future state prosecution for official acts may dissuade federal officers from effectively performing their official duties and responsibilities,” Jordan’s letter to Willis says. “The indictment charges a former President of the United States, and the federal government has a substantial interest in the welfare of former Presidents.”
Jordan also raises “questions” about “how your office coordinated with DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith during the course of this investigation.” He goes on to demand, from Willis, “all documents and communications referring or relating to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office’s receipt and use of federal funds,” as well as all documents and communications between Willis and the special counsel’s office, as well as between Willis and any Executive Branch officials.
Willis was given a response deadline of September 7. She does not appear to have responded yet, and it’s not true that she will be suing Jordan the way Bragg did.
Jordan has not produced any evidence that Willis has coordinated anything with Smith’s office, and she has denied it.
“I don’t know what Jack Smith is doing, Jack Smith doesn’t know what I’m doing. In all honesty, if Jack Smith was standing next to me, I’m not sure I would know who he was. My guess is he probably can’t pronounce my name correctly,” Willis said before charges were filed, as reported by The Hill.
Trump is scheduled to surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday, and on the eve of that, the former president has shaken up his legal team in that case.
The ex-president is expected to drop Drew Findling and replace him with Steven Sadow, described by CBS News as “an Atlanta-based lawyer who specializes in white collar and high-profile defense.”
Trump will have a mugshot taken, something that he has managed to avoid in the three previous prosecutions. In addition, more stringent conditions will be placed on what Trump can say about the case. The ex-president is legally barred from “intimidating his co-defendants, witnesses or alleged victims in that case, including on social media.” The bond for Trump was set at $200,000.
In the Georgia indictment, the former president is charged with 13 counts, which include violating the state’s racketeering law. That brings the total of counts faced by Trump, across the four indictments, to more than 90.
Several of Trump’s codefendants, including Rudy Giuliani and other lawyers, appeared at the courthouse in Georgia on Wednesday.
Author Expertise and Experience:
Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Stephen has authored thousands of articles over the years that focus on politics, technology, and the economy for over a decade. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
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