Alvin Bragg responds to Jordan, says willing to testify about Trump prosecution at a later date

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office on Friday said he was willing to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee about his prosecution of former President Donald Trump, but would need to do so at a later date than proposed.

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan requested testimony from Bragg last week on the hush money trial, and prosecution of the former president, and suggested Bragg testify on June 13. But Leslie Dubeck, Bragg’s general counsel, told Jordan that the proposed date wouldn't work because of "various scheduling conflicts." 

Bragg, who had campaigned on putting Trump in jail, led the hush money case against Trump, which resulted in a guilty verdict last week on all 34 federal charges brought against the former president. 

"This Office is committed to voluntary cooperation," Dubek said in a letter shared with Politico. "That cooperation includes making the District Attorney available to provide testimony on behalf of the Office at an agreed-upon date, and evaluating the propriety of allowing an Assistant District Attorney to testify publicly about an active prosecution to which he is assigned."

Dubek also requested more information on the testimony the committee was looking for, and asked the chairman's staff to work with them on an alternative date that comes after Trump's July 11 sentencing. Dubek claimed various trial court proceedings are currently scheduled to continue through July 11.

Jordan has also requested testimony from prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, who was one of the top prosecutors in the case, and has a background in prosecuting cases related to the former president. He previously worked at the New York Attorney General's office and the Justice Department. 

Bragg's response to the testimony request is a change from his previous stances. Bragg repeatedly denied invitations to testify in front of the committee in the past, and suggested last year that Jordan was interfering with the Justice system. But he has actively defended the prosecution of Trump.

"While this defendant may be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial, and ultimately today at this verdict, in the same manner as every other case that comes through the courtroom doors," Bragg said last week, per Axios.