AWESOME: Former NY Prosecutor Righteously Rejects GOP House Judiciary Committee's Political Theater
News Corpse
Friday May 12, 2023 · 1:21 PM PDT
The Republican majority in the House of Representatives has made it their mission to malign and disparage President Biden above all other political or legislative considerations. It's an obsessive determination to poison the electoral landscape for Democrats that is succeeding only in humiliating the Republicans who are engaging in it.
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Foremost among the GOP persecutors is Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He is currently presiding over wholly contrived hearings into the activities of Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney whose investigations of Donald Trump's hush money payments to adult film star, Stormy Daniels, resulted in a Grand Jury indicting Trump for thirty-four (34!) felonies accusing Trump of falsifying financial records.
SEE ALSO: Trump Indicted by the Manhattan Grand Jury Probing His Hush Money Payments to Stormy Daniels
There is no question that Jordan is staging these hearings purely as political retaliation. As part of his partisan crusade, Jordan subpoenaed Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan D.A.'s office. On Friday Pomerantz complied with the subpoena and showed up for Jordan's clown show. However, he refused to answer questions, asserting his constitutional and legal ethics rights. In his opening statement Pomerantz said that...
Pomerantz goes on to explain his reasons for declining to cooperate with the "cynical histrionics" of the Committee's GOP leaders. He cites the District Attorney's assertions of "claims of privilege and confidentiality to protect the integrity of the pending prosecution and continuing investigation of Donald Trump." He elaborates further saying that "The charges against Mr. Trump should be heard and decided by a judge and a jury before politicians second-guess their merits.""I am here because I respect the rule of law... What I do not respect is the use of the Committee's subpoena power to compel me to participate in an act of political theater. This deposition is for show. I do not believe for a moment that I am here to assist a genuine effort to enact legislation or conduct legislative 'oversight.' We are gathered here because Donald Trump's supporters would like to use these proceedings to attempt to obstruct and undermine the criminal case pending against him, and to harass, intimidate, and discredit anyone who investigates or charges him."
Pomerantz also cites the 5th Amendment to justify not capitulating the Committee's coercion. He maintains that he has broken no laws, but is nevertheless, "not required to answer questions if my answers might be used against me." He adds that the law "permits me to refuse to answer questions that are not pertinent to legitimate legislative function." He also notes that attorney-client and work product privileges may also apply to some of the Committee's inquiries. In closing he says that...
Jordan's rank partisanship has been on prominent display throughout his brief tenure in the chairman's seat. He also formed a subcommittee on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government” whose sole purpose was to weaponize his congressional power to attack Democrats and run cover for Donald Trump."It gives me no joy to invoke my legal rights, but I am glad that the law allows me not to cooperate with this performance of political theater. As an American I am privileged to have the legal rights that I assert today, and I am hopeful that I live in a country that will continue to respect them."
SEE THIS: New GOP Subcommittee Chair Openly Admits His Only Purpose is to ‘Make Life Hell’ for Democrats
However, Jordan's issuance of subpoenas is particularly comical considering that when he was recently subpoenaed by Congress, he impudently ignored it. So why would he expect anyone to respect his summons? Jordan is not someone who should be taken seriously. And Pomerantz responded precisely as any honorable public servant should