(ReliableNews.org) – On May 30, a Manhattan jury found defendant Donald Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the repayment for paying off Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. The decision made the former president a convicted felon. Still, many GOP members have been calling foul on this and all of his criminal cases. To date, they’ve found no evidence to support their assertions despite their attempts.
What Happened?
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) has been pushing a popular conspiracy theory circulating through much of the Republican Party — that the Justice Department has been doing President Joe Biden’s bidding by bringing false charges against the former president.
On June 10, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote a three-page letter to the Ohio lawmaker stating there was no evidence of any contact between the DOJ and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg since Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. The assistant AG said an extensive records search was completed to include all the way up to Trump’s conviction. Uriarte said the findings were “unsurprising” because there is no connection between the Justice Department and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, as the committee is well aware.
Regardless, the committee chair plans to move forward with his claims, bringing Bragg in to testify in front of Congress. The Manhattan DA agreed to appear, but only after Trump is sentenced on July 11. Jordan insists the DOJ is “politicized and weaponized,” despite two out of the four cases against him being at the state level and not under the Justice Department’s jurisdiction. In the NY case, a jury of Trump’s peers found him guilty based on the evidence. It’s unclear if Jordan believes they were compromised as well.
What’s Next?
Bragg will testify before Congress on July 12, the day after Trump learns his punishment. Former prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is set to testify as well. While the AG is under no obligation to appear before the House committee, he believes it’s important to stop the “spread [of] dangerous misinformation, baseless claims, and conspiracy theories” following Trump’s verdict. Bragg said it “undermines the rule of law,” which is why he is choosing to testify before the House committee.
Trump is facing up to four years for each felony conviction in the hush money case for a total of a possible 136-year sentence. While experts believe he’s unlikely to see that kind of time — if any — Judge Juan Merchan will take Trump’s conduct during the trial, the recommendations from the prosecution and defense, and the views from the defendant’s probation officer into account during sentencing.
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