Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele warned that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg needs to "stay his behind home" rather than appear before Congress as GOP politicians probe the multiple-felony hush money conviction of Donald Trump.
"All this ... is the biggest punking move of the year," he said on MSNBC's "The Weekend."
"If he shows up, those individuals on that committee are there for one purpose, and that is to hang him politically," said Steele, who co-hosts the program. "Sound bites are just the beginning of it."
Steele argued that Bragg should not "subject" the case to a "political process" because Congress "has no authority here to call him up and ask him about his prosecution in a state matter."
He also warned: "There's an appeals process. This thing isn't over. This is still going. Why would [Bragg] want to legitimize the takedown of his prosecution?"
Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. He's scheduled to return to court for a sentencing hearing on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan clearly signaled what Bragg will be facing if he appears before the Repubican-controlled House. He called on Bragg to appear before Congress regarding "actions by state and local prosecutors to engage politically motivated prosecutions of federal officials, in particular the recent political prosecution of President Donald Trump by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office."
Trump and his allies have long baselessly claimed that the trial was "rigged" and orchestrated by President Biden. Trump is the only former president in history charged with or convicted of a felony.
The Manhattan district attorney's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, responded in a letter to Jordan that Bragg would testify. Bragg is "committed to voluntary cooperation" but the date of his appearance would depend on scheduling obligations, including Trump's sentencing hearing and appeals.
