JEFFERSON CITY — Last week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to address what he calls the politically motivated prosecution of President Donald Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bailey's testimony came two weeks after Bragg secured a conviction against Trump, which Bailey claims was legally flawed and politically driven.
In his testimony, Bailey emphasized that many Missourians were shocked by what he described as a corrupt and politically motivated attack on Trump, resulting in an unjust conviction.
Bailey stressed that the United States is supposed to be a nation of laws that protect individuals from persecution and ensure fairness. Still, he argued that the Left's actions against Trump have undermined these principles.
"The people of the state of Missouri watched in horror as the Left's direct assault on President Trump manifested itself in the form of a corrupt prosecution of the president, which resulted in an errant criminal conviction," Bailey testified on the floor of the House. "We are a nation of laws that are supposed to be equally applied. Instead, the Left has prioritized its hatred of President Trump above the rule of law. To put it plainly, the Left hates President Trump more than they love this country."
Bailey accused the Left of prioritizing their dislike for Trump over the country's well-being, citing examples of censorship, civil suits, ballot removal and manipulated prosecutions against Trump. He referred to these actions as a strategic attack on Trump and the nation's values and legal system.
In his testimony, Bailey requested that the DOJ release any communications related to the investigations or prosecutions of Trump, seeking transparency about potential coordination between the federal government and state prosecutors. He argues that the American public deserves to know the extent of federal involvement in these prosecutions, especially with the 2024 presidential election approaching
"America was harmed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s prosecution of President Trump," Bailey said in a provided written testimony. "We were denied the ability to hear from a presidential candidate. The credibility of our criminal justice system has been undermined by a lone prosecutor."
Bailey wrote that as a Nation, we must affirmatively reject Soros-backed prosecutors who refuse to enforce the law and instead weaponize the criminal justice system to achieve a political end.
"As a Nation, we must eliminate the Vera Institute’s influence over the DOJ and our local prosecutor’s office," he said in the written testimony. "If we are to restore the credibility of our criminal justice system, we must accomplish these objectives. If we are to protect the rule of law, we must end the lawfare against President Trump. If we are to remain a nation of laws, not men, we must root out this existential threat to the republic, destroy it, and secure the battlefield for freedom and equal protection under the law."
The House Judiciary held the hearing on June 13 to examine Bragg's political prosecution of Trump. Witnesses at the hearing included Trey Trainor, a commissioner with the Federal Election Commission; Elizabeth Price Foley, an attorney of counsel with BakerHostetler; former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Norman Eisen; and Bailey.
On April 4, 2023, Bragg charged Trump with 34 felony counts for falsifying business records, following his campaign focus on investigating Trump and pressure from left-wing activists. Normally, this offense is a misdemeanor with a two-year statute of limitations, which had expired. However, Bragg employed a new and untested legal theory, previously rejected by federal prosecutors, to elevate the charges to felonies. The move contrasts with Bragg's usual practice of downgrading most Manhattan felonies to misdemeanors.
In May, jurors in New York voted to convict Trump on all 34 felony counts.