Daniels' testimony 'irrelevant' to Trump trial: Dupree
Former Assistant Attorney General Tom Dupree, FOX News Legal Editor Kelly Arburn, FOX News Contributor Jason Chafetz join 'Faulkner Focus' and Stormy Daniels weighs in on New York v. Trump Let's analyze what it's like to stand on the witness stand.
First broadcast on FOX: The prosecutor in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office who led the investigation of adult film actress Stormy Daniels in former President Trump's criminal trial joined President Biden's campaign in 2020 and others over the years. He donated to many Democratic politicians and organizations, Fox reported. News Digital has learned.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger questioned Daniels on Tuesday as he testified as part of the former U.S. president's unprecedented criminal trial.
Trump's defense team told Judge Juan Melchan on Tuesday afternoon that they would seek a mistrial, citing Daniels' “biased” testimony. Hoffinger said the claim was baseless, and Marchand ultimately rejected the defense's request.
Biden, the former head of the Justice Department who is prosecuting Trump, once received compensation for “political consulting'' from the DNC.
Hoffinger's donations to Biden were made during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, according to Federal Election Commission records.
This courtroom sketch shows Stormy Daniels being questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger during former President Trump's criminal trial in New York City on May 7, 2024. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
Hoffinger donated $500 to President Biden's 2020 campaign. He donated $250 in February 2020 and $250 again in March 2020. She donated more than $900 to ActBlue during the 2020 cycle. ActBlue is an online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates, progressive organizations, and nonprofit organizations.
Prosecutors also donated to numerous other Democratic congressional campaigns in 2020 and 2018. Mr. Hoffinger was hired by Mr. Bragg's office in 2022 after the political contributions were made.
The revelations come as Republicans investigate the alleged politicization of the case against Trump.
“Joe Biden's witch hunt against President Donald Trump in New York City is blatant election interference,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “The Democratic chief prosecutor is a donor to Joe Biden, just like the judge.”
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Marchan donated $15 to the Biden campaign in July 2020. In 2020, he also made small donations to other Democratic organizations.
“Democrats know they can't beat President Trump at the polls and are resorting to desperate legal battles in hopes of saving Joe Biden,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital.
“The American people see through this, and that's why President Trump will win in November,” Stefanik said.
Fox News Digital first reported that another top prosecutor on Mr. Bragg's team was paid by the Democratic National Committee for “political consulting” work.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images/File)
Matthew Colangelo joined Bragg's office following the resignation of Trump prosecutors Mark Pomerantz and Carrie Dunn, who was initially reluctant to pursue charges. He resigned in protest. Mr. Colangelo left a senior position in the Biden Justice Department to join Mr. Bragg's team. Bragg then accused the former president in April 2023, raising questions among some in the Republican Party about the alleged politicization of the incident.
House Republicans are investigating Colangelo and his past work in prosecuting President Trump.
This courtroom sketch shows Stormy Daniels being questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger during former President Trump's criminal trial in New York City on May 7, 2024. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
DNC Services Corp/Democratic National Committee made two payments to Mr. Colangelo on January 31, 2018, according to Federal Election Commission records reviewed by Fox News Digital. Mr. Colangelo was paid two payments of $6,000 for a total of $12,000.
The “Description” of the payment purpose states “Political Consulting.”
Neither the Manhattan District Attorney's Office nor the DNC responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment about Colangelo's work.
At the time, Mr. Colangelo was working as a deputy attorney general for social justice in the office of then-New York State Attorney General Eric Scheiderman, taking over the role from Mr. Bragg, who was appointed chief deputy attorney general at the time.
Schneiderman resigned in May 2018 following sexual assault allegations. He was succeeded by Barbara Underwood as New York Attorney General.
In June 2018, just months after Colangelo received the payment from the DNC, Underwood filed a lawsuit against the Trump Foundation with Colangelo as deputy attorney general. The complaint alleges that Trump used the foundation's charitable assets to pay off legal obligations. The Trump Foundation ultimately agreed to disband in December 2018.
This courtroom sketch shows Trump defense attorney Todd Branch speaking from the podium next to prosecutor Matthew Colangelo during a June 27, 2023, courtroom hearing in Manhattan, New York City. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
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Mr. Colangelo joined Mr. Bragg's office in December 2022.
Prior to working in New York and the Biden Justice Department, Colangelo held various positions in the Obama administration. Colangelo worked in the Justice Department's civil rights division, served as chief of staff to then-Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and then chaired the Democratic National Committee in 2017. Mr. Perez was chairman of the Democratic National Committee at the time Mr. Colangelo was being paid for “political consulting.”
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Mr. Colangelo also worked as deputy chief of staff to then-President Obama and deputy director of the White House Economic Council.
Mr. Bragg indicted Mr. Trump on 34 counts of first-degree falsification of business records. Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The charge of falsifying business records is typically a misdemeanor, but Bragg, Colangelo and New York prosecutors must convince jurors that Trump falsified those records in furtherance of “another crime.”
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Prosecutors suggest another crime violated New York state law: conspiracy to prevent or facilitate an election. On its face, as an isolated crime, the charge is usually also a misdemeanor.
Bragg said the combination of allegations of falsifying business records and interfering with or facilitating an election constitutes a felony.
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.