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EXCLUSIVE: The Democratic National Committee paid Trump authoritative Matthew Colangelo thousands of dollars for "political consulting" successful 2018, Fox News Digital has learned.
Colangelo delivered opening statements successful the unprecedented transgression proceedings of erstwhile President Trump and serves arsenic a apical authoritative with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's Office connected the case.
Colangelo joined Bragg’s bureau successful December 2022 aft the resignations of Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne — prosecutors who were investigating Trump and resigned successful protestation of Bragg’s archetypal unwillingness to indict the erstwhile president. Colangelo near a elder relation astatine the Biden Justice Department to articulation Bragg's team. Bragg afterward brought charges against the erstwhile president successful April 2023, raising questions among immoderate successful the GOP astir alleged politicization of the case.
House Republicans are investigating Colangelo and his past enactment arsenic helium prosecutes Trump.
NY V. TRUMP: HOUSE JUDICIARY INVESTIGATES BRAGG PROSECUTOR WHO HELD SENIOR ROLE IN BIDEN DOJ
Former President Donald Trump exits Trump Tower successful New York City, Monday, April 15, 2024. Jury enactment begins contiguous successful the alleged hush wealth proceedings successful Manhattan Criminal Court this morning. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo speaks successful DOJ video. (Fox News Digital/DOJ )
According to Federal Election Commission records reviewed by Fox News Digital, DNC Services Corp/Democratic National Committee paid authoritative Matthew Colangelo doubly connected Jan. 31, 2018. Colangelo was fixed 2 payments of $6,000, for a full of $12,000.
The "description" for the intent of outgo is labeled "Political Consulting."
Neither the Manhattan District Attorney's Office nor the DNC instantly responded to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.
At the time, Colangelo was serving successful then-New York Attorney General Eric Scheiderman’s bureau arsenic the lawman lawyer wide for societal justice, assuming the relation from Bragg. Bragg, astatine the time, was appointed arsenic main lawman lawyer general.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo makes opening statements arsenic erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump watches with his lawyer Todd Blanche earlier Justice Juan Merchan during Trump's transgression proceedings connected charges that helium falsified concern records to conceal wealth paid to soundlessness porn prima Stormy Daniels successful 2016, successful Manhattan authorities tribunal successful New York City, U.S. April 22, 2024 successful this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
Schneiderman resigned successful May 2018 amid allegations of intersexual assault. Barbara Underwood replaced him arsenic New York lawyer general.
Just months aft Colangelo received the payments from the DNC, successful June 2018, Underwood, with Colangelo arsenic enforcement lawman lawyer general, filed a suit against the Trump Foundation. The suit claimed that Trump utilized the foundation’s charitable assets to wage disconnected his ineligible obligations. The Trump Foundation yet agreed to dissolve successful December 2018.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks during a quality league connected Thursday, March 7, 2024, successful Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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Colangelo stayed successful the New York Attorney General’s Office aft Underwood’s tenure, and nether the enactment of existent AG Letitia James, who took implicit successful 2018, wherever helium continued to enactment connected Trump lawsuits and investigations.
But connected Jan. 20, 2021, the archetypal time of the Biden administration, Colangelo began serving arsenic acting subordinate lawyer wide successful the Justice Department.
Colangelo past became the Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General astatine the Biden Justice Department. Colangelo helped to oversee aggregate departments, including the Civil, Civil Rights, Antitrust and Tax Divisions.
Colangelo joined Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s bureau successful December 2022.
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DNC Chair Tom Perez speaks to a Democratic Party gathering successful New Hampshire up of the 2020 New Hampshire statesmanlike primary.
Prior to his enactment successful New York and successful the Biden Justice Department, Colangelo worked successful the Obama administration, serving successful a fig of antithetic roles. Colangelo worked successful the DOJ's civilian rights part and served arsenic the main of unit to then-Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who aboriginal served arsenic seat of the DNC successful 2017.
Perez was DNC president astatine the clip Colangelo was paid for "political consulting."
Colangelo besides worked arsenic a lawman adjunct to then-President Obama and arsenic the lawman manager of the White House Economic Council.
President Joe Biden and erstwhile President Barack Obama. (Getty Images)
The House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is demanding that Attorney General Merrick Garland crook implicit records related to Colangelo’s employment astatine the Justice Department arsenic it conducts "oversight of politically motivated prosecutions by authorities and section officials."
Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying concern records successful the archetypal degree.
Trump pleaded not blameworthy to each counts.
A complaint of falsifying concern records typically is simply a misdemeanor, but Bragg, Colangelo and New York prosecutors indispensable person the assemblage that Trump allegedly falsified those records successful the furtherance of "another crime."
Former President Donald Trump attends the archetypal time of his transgression trial, astatine Manhattan Criminal Court successful New York City connected April 15, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via AP Pool)
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Prosecutors suggest that different transgression was successful usurpation of New York State instrumentality — to forestall oregon beforehand election. On its face, arsenic a stand-alone offense, that complaint is besides typically a misdemeanor.
Coupling the alleged falsification of concern records with alleged prevention oregon promotion of predetermination becomes a felony crime, according to Bragg.
Brooke Singman is simply a governmental analogous and newsman for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
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