Alvin Brock, House GOP reach deal on Trump impeachment inquiry

news

Trump’s accusation

By Kathryn Donlevy

April 22, 2023 | 2:53 am

Alvin Bragg and House Republicans struck a deal Friday that allows the Judiciary Committee to question a former prosecutor about the former Manhattan district attorney’s case against President Trump — a day after a federal court ruled to block the deposition.

Under the deal, the panel could question Mark Pomerantz, a former Manhattan prosecutor who wrote a book detailing Bragg’s investigation of Trump — under oath at a later date than originally planned.

Pomerantz would be accompanied by a lawyer from the Prague office, the group said, even without Friday’s agreement.

The deal resolves a legal battle between Bragg and the group that went to a federal appeals court in the weeks following Trump’s historic indictment.

Bragg’s office said the agreement protects the district attorney’s “privileges and interests” in his ongoing prosecution.

“Our successful stay of this subpoena prevented an immediate deposition and gave us the time we needed to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that would protect the district attorney’s privileges and interests.” The Prague office said in a statement.

“We are pleased with this decision, which ensures that any question by our former employee will be held before our general counsel in a reasonable, agreed-upon timeframe. We are pleased that the Second Circuit’s ruling has given us the opportunity to successfully resolve this dispute.”

The panel, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), subpoenaed Pomerantz in March to investigate how federal funds were used in the investigation of Trump by Bragg’s office.

Shortly after Pomerantz left office, Bragg indicted Trump on 34 criminal counts.

After Trump’s impeachment, the group argued it had the right to investigate whether former presidents were being subjected to “politically motivated government investigations and prosecutions.”

Bragg has pushed back hard against the committee’s efforts to investigate Pomerantz, a former assistant district attorney, arguing it was an improper congressional intrusion into local criminal investigations.

The DA sued Jordan and the group last week in an attempt to block the subpoena, but was shot down by a judge who said: “No one is above the law.”

Bragg appealed the ruling and was suspended Thursday, but withdrew that motion as part of his agreement with the team.

Pomerantz is expected to take the stand on May 12.

With the post Wires