(CNN) Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office accused House Republicans of launching an “unprecedented investigation into pending local prosecutions” while supporting an investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged payments to an adult film actress during the 2016 campaign.
In a new letter Leslie Dubec, general counsel for the district attorney’s office, told Republican lawmakers briefed on the investigation earlier this week that GOP House committee leaders lacked “a legitimate basis for a congressional investigation.” “It came after Donald Trump created false expectations that he would be arrested the next day, and his lawyers urged you to intervene.”
Dubec said Republican claims that the investigation was politically motivated were “baseless.”
“Regardless, the proper forum for such a challenge is the New York courts, which are prepared to consider and reconsider such objections,” he added.
He asked the groups to meet and consult with Prague’s office. To discuss whether the House had a “legitimate legislative” intent to do so and whether it could change those records without violating New York’s sovereign interests.
DHis previous letter requesting information Bragg’s investigation was sent on Monday by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, House Oversight Chairman James Comer and House Administration Chairman Brian Steele, who criticized the hush money investigation into Trump as an “unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial power.”
“We are reviewing the letter,” Jordan told CNN when asked about his response to the letter from the Manhattan DA’s general counsel. Jordan repeated his answer when asked if he would subpoena Bragg.
Comer told CNN that “The Justice Department [committee] When asked about the Manhattan DA’s office’s response to Congress’ initial request, he said he was leading it.
Gomer explained that his committee has a large staff and sufficient resources to help the House Judiciary Committee “get information.”
Dubec’s five-page response to the Republicans’ demands — including Bragg’s testimony and documents and communications related to the investigation — cited case law and legal arguments that the GOP demands were “unlawful intrusions on New York’s sovereignty.” .”
He argued that the 10th Amendment to the Constitution limited the federal government’s power over local law enforcement and that Congress was not an executive branch agency specifically endowed with law enforcement powers.
Pointing to laws protecting grand jury secrecy, he said House Republicans are seeking “non-public information about a pending criminal investigation, which is confidential under state law,” and therefore, he argued, complying with the groups’ request would be intrusive. Law enforcement.
Tubeck scoffed at claims by Republicans that they needed Bragg’s testimony and documents requested as part of a congressional review of federal public safety funds.
Dubeck wrote, “The letter does not suggest that the district attorney’s testimony about the prosecutor’s decisions or the documents and communications of former assistant district attorneys in pending criminal trials could shed light on that review.”
But, he added, “However, to assist Congress in understanding the ways in which the DA’s office has used federal funds, we will be submitting a letter detailing its use of federal funds that we are preparing.”
CNN has reached out to the three House committees involved for comment.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Manu Raju contributed.
