The House of Representatives is facing Donald Trump’s indictment in Manhattan. Republicans are seeking ways to retaliate against the district attorney who pursues the charge from the left.
On Monday, the grand jury will hear testimony from Robert Costello (surprise witness), who was a legal advisor to Michael Cohen and also represented Rudy Giuliani. The grand jury will then hear counter-testimony from Cohen before the deliberations start, which will lead to a vote regarding the indictment.
This is a state-level issue so the options available to House Republicans are limited. However, they are ready to move according to Fox News and Politico.
1. According to a GOP official, Republicans may soon send letters to Manhattan DA’s employees asking them for sworn testimony. This potential request is being made amid speculation regarding why the hush money case was suddenly revived after being back-burner both by federal and state prosecutors.
According to the official, the plan is not final and he spoke under anonymity. He also noted that McCarthy, a longtime Trump ally, and close friend, “fully supports and pushes people to be aggressive here.”
1) Fox is told that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) is expected to call Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and others in his office regarding the potential prosecution of former President Trump. It’s possible they could bring in figures for depositions.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) March 20, 2023
This would be a significant escalation. It is not clear how effective it would be. It’s a little like being called into the principal’s office after having graduated. Alvin Bragg is the DA. He’s a ruthless partisan and he’s not part of the federal government. The oversight function of Congress is extremely limited, almost to the point that it threatens federal funding.
However, even that seems unlikely to happen, as Republicans don’t control the power needed to follow through on any threat of funding cuts.
Despite this, it is unlikely that the game will do anything concrete. It is more to shine a spotlight on Bragg’s history and current actions. It would be a good idea to make him appear before Congress to answer any questions and to put pressure on the partisan prosecution.
Republicans would be wise to seize this opportunity to learn how Bragg got his office. He also received a substantial amount of money from George Soros. His past shows that he has a deep-seated and hysterical bias toward Donald Trump.
If the indictment is dropped this week, would that be enough to stop the pursuit? Although it is unlikely, any pushback here would be something. House Republicans are showing voters they will not sit by and watch. This is a win for the party. There aren’t always the best solutions. But you can take what you have.
