Trump Judge Pulled Into Fight Between Jim Jordan, Alvin Bragg
A judge appointed by Donald Trump has been pulled into a legal battle between Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who indicted the former president, and Representative Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee.
Bragg sued Jordan on Tuesday over subpoenas that Bragg claims are part of a "transparent campaign to intimidate and attack" him over his indictment of Trump, which includes 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. The counts stem from alleged "hush money" payments made by Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney, during the ex-president's 2016 presidential campaign. The payments are tied in part to an alleged affair with former adult-film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Jordan has issued a series of subpoenas as part of his own investigation into Bragg's probe of the case, as Jordan and other Republicans say Trump has been unfairly treated in the justice system. The subpoenas—one of which targeted former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who previously oversaw the investigation into Trump—sparked a lawsuit from Bragg.
The case is now being overseen by a New York judge appointed by then-President Trump.
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil has been assigned to oversee the lawsuit, according to a report from the Associated Press (AP). Trump appointed Vyskocil to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Trump in 2018, and the Senate confirmed her in 2019. Prior to this appointment, Vyskocil served as a bankruptcy judge.
Vyskocil declined to take immediate action on the lawsuit Tuesday, instead scheduling an initial hearing for April 19 in Manhattan, AP reported.
Who Is Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil?
The Senate confirmed Vyskocil to her position in December 2019, with only three Democrats—Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Ed Markey of Massachusetts—voting against her.
Vyskocil previously oversaw a case involving Karen McDougal, a model who has said that she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007. McDougal sued Fox News over a 2018 episode in which host Tucker Carlson accused her of extorting Trump, citing damages to her reputation.
Vyskocil sided with Fox News in the case, ruling that Carlson's remarks were protected by the First Amendment.
"The Court concludes that the statements are rhetorical hyperbole and opinion commentary intended to frame a political debate, and, as such, are not actionable as defamation," Vyskocil ruled.
She also determined that McDougal's attorneys did not prove actual malice, writing, "Ms. McDougal's allegations of political and personal bias also fall well short of what is necessary to allege actual malice."
Newsweek has reached out via email to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for comment.
