Bragg and Colangelo to Testify at House Judiciary Committee Hearing Post-Trump Sentencing
Summary: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and prosecutor Matthew Colangelo are set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on July 12, a day after former President Trump’s sentencing. This follows Trump’s conviction on charges of falsifying business records. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is leading the oversight hearings, with potential subpoenas for Attorney General Merrick Garland and New York Attorney General Letitia James also in consideration.
In a significant development, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and prosecutor Matthew Colangelo will testify publicly before the House Judiciary Committee on July 12. This appearance comes just one day after former President Donald Trump’s scheduled sentencing. Trump was recently found guilty on all counts of falsifying business records in the first degree by a New York jury.
Initially, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, had invited Bragg to testify this week. However, due to “scheduling conflicts,” the testimony was postponed. Instead, Jordan will hold a broad oversight hearing on the Trump case this Thursday on Capitol Hill. The hearing will feature testimonies from Federal Election Commissioner Trey Trainor, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, and attorney Elizabeth Foley, who criticized the trial in a Wall Street Journal op-ed for violating due-process principles.
Jordan has outlined plans for further oversight hearings, potentially as early as later this month or in early July. There is also consideration for a field hearing in New York City. Additionally, Jordan is contemplating issuing subpoenas to Attorney General Merrick Garland and New York Attorney General Letitia James to scrutinize Colangelo’s work with the Justice Department.
Colangelo, who has been involved in Trump-related lawsuits and prosecutions since 2018, joined Bragg’s office in December 2022. His earlier tenure in the New York attorney general’s office and connections with the Democratic National Committee for political consulting have drawn attention. Jordan has demanded records from Garland related to Colangelo’s tenure at the Justice Department as part of his oversight into what he describes as “politically motivated prosecutions.”
Trump, who pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts of falsifying business records, is set to be sentenced on July 11. This sentencing will occur just four days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump is expected to be formally nominated as the Republican presidential candidate for 2024. Ahead of his sentencing, Trump participated in a pre-sentencing virtual interview with New York probation officers.
Jordan has been proactive in his oversight role, having already held a field hearing in New York on the case, subpoenaed ex-Bragg prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, and released Pomerantz’s deposition to the committee.
Following Trump’s guilty verdict, Bragg defended his actions, stating, “I did my job. Our job is to follow the facts and the law without fear or favor. And that’s exactly what we did here. The only voice that matters is the voice of the jury. And the jury has spoken.”
As these high-profile testimonies and oversight hearings unfold, they promise to keep the political and legal spotlight firmly on the intricate and contentious matters surrounding former President Trump’s prosecution and the broader implications for justice and political accountability.
