Manhattan DA Acknowledges Some Federal Funds Were Used to Investigate Trump

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has confirmed in a letter dated 31 March that federal funds were used to investigate former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization before Alvin Bragg assumed office. The letter, addressed to three House Republicans, including Jim Jordan and James Comer, reveals that approximately $5,000 of federal money sourced from the Department of Justice asset forfeiture fund was used in the investigation spanning from 2019 to 2021. The letter states that “most of those costs are attributed to the Supreme Court case, Trump v. Vance”.

A grand jury in New York voted to indict Trump on charges that are currently sealed, but are thought to concern allegations about the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen, who was Trump’s lawyer at the time. Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, has said that the former president will formally surrender himself to Bragg’s office ahead of the charges being unveiled on 4 April. Trump denies all charges and argues that he is innocent.

The Republican lawmakers had asked Bragg to testify before Congress after reports of the indictment emerged, but General Counsel Leslie Dubeck refused the request in a letter dated 23 March, stating that the letter was “an unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution”.