On Monday, three influential House GOP chairmen took the rare step of attempting to become involved in a probe against Donald Trump before any possible criminal charges the former president might face.
The action shows how far House Republicans will go to defend Trump in the event of an indictment, even if they admit they are unaware of the full extent of any possible accusations.
The three chairmen of the House, Jim Jordan of the House Judiciary, James Comer of the House Oversight, and Bryan Steil of the House Administration, sent a letter requesting testimony from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and denouncing his investigation into President Trump as an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority.
It’s the latest attempt by House Republicans to cloud the issue in advance of the potential that Trump might become the first sitting president to be charged with a crime.
The three chairmen state in their letter that they want to look into whether Bragg and his office exploited federal public safety monies for their grand jury investigation into an adult film actress named Stormy Daniels’ hush money scam.
Following a request from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for appropriate committees to look into Bragg’s behavior, the letter was written.
Even while McCarthy has acknowledged he doesn’t know whether federal dollars have actually been used for the investigation, he has said that’s why House Republicans should look into it.
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House Republicans Rally to Trump’s Defense.
Later on Monday, in response to the MPs’ letter, a spokesperson for Bragg declared: “We will not be frightened by attempts to obstruct the legal system, nor will we permit unfounded charges to stop us from fairly implementing the law.”
On Monday, McCarthy defended the decision made by the chairs of three of his committees to request testimony even before Bragg’s investigation was finished and before he made public any charges against Trump.
McCarthy later dodged numerous inquiries regarding whether he could back Trump’s candidacy for president in light of the pending indictment. According to the district attorney, homicides and gunfire have decreased in Manhattan so far this year.
The House GOP chairman’s action has drawn criticism from Democrats, who claim that it amounts to meddling in the inquiry. Republicans should wait until they have a chance to review the potential indictment, according to some in the Party who doubt the necessity of congressional action.
The letter was sent two days after Trump stated he anticipates being detained in relation to the inquiry. Also, it falls on the first full day of the annual policy retreat of the House GOP in Florida, where Republicans had intended to concentrate on their legislative agenda but are now forced to play defense against Trump.
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