Gaetz wants ex-prosecutor held in contempt for staying silent on Trump investigation.

Rep. Matt Gaetz Seeks Contempt Charges Against Former Prosecutor

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is seeking to hold a former Manhattan prosecutor in contempt of Congress after the attorney refused to answer questions about Alvin Bragg’s 34-count indictment against former President Donald Trump last month.

Former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on May 12 to comply with a subpoena seeking information about the charges pressed against the former president. However, Pomerantz refused to answer any questions during the meeting, citing his 5th Amendment rights and calling the hearing “political theater.”

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Gaetz, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, filed a resolution to hold Pomerantz in contempt, arguing his refusal to answer questions violates the congressional subpoena.

“Through his lack of testimony, Mark Pomerantz has undoubtedly undermined the legitimacy of this witch hunt indictment against President Donald Trump,” Gaetz said in a statement. “I believe Mr. Pomerantz engaged in misconduct in his targeting of President Trump, and his refusal to answer simple questions should not go unpunished. He should be held in contempt of Congress and be compelled to answer the questions regarding the weaponization of the Manhattan DA’s office.”

Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) subpoenaed Pomerantz on April 6 to testify regarding the former attorney’s involvement in the investigation into Trump’s finances and his alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Pomerantz led that inquiry before resigning last year over District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s initial reluctance to move forward with the case.

Pomerantz was the first to be subpoenaed as part of the GOP investigation. Bragg responded by suing Jordan in an attempt to block the testimony, decrying the effort as an “attempt to undermine an active investigation” with unprecedented “harassment and intimidation.”

Jordan subpoenaed Pomerantz over accusations the charges against Trump are politically motivated, arguing Pomerantz resigned as an act of protest to pressure Bragg to reopen the case. Jordan also referenced a newly published book written by Pomerantz that details his decision to resign and why he believes Trump should be convicted.

“Mr. Pomerantz pled the Fifth to nearly every question about his time in the Manhattan DA’s office, despite writing a tell-all book about his time there,” Gaetz said. “If he fails to comply with the congressional subpoena, then the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives must summon him by force.”

The House Judiciary Committee opened an investigation into Trump’s indictment after the former president was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges were unsealed during a court appearance in early April and mark the first time a former president faces criminal charges.

In the court documents, Bragg accused Trump of orchestrating a “catch and kill” scheme during the 2016 presidential cycle to identify negative stories about him and pay large sums of money to bury them from public view. After making such payments, Trump is accused of hiding such conduct by making “dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws.”

• In one instance, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen wired $130,000 to an attorney to be transferred to Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged sexual affair.
• Cohen later pleaded guilty to the illegal campaign contribution charge in 2018.

At the time of Cohen’s trial, federal prosecutors did not press charges against Trump due to guidance from the Justice Department that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. However, prosecutors revived discussions about charges shortly before Trump left office in 2021. The federal government ultimately did not charge Trump.

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