America First Legal (AFL) has initiated legal action against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to obtain records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) concerning Matthew Colangelo, a central figure in the prosecution of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan.
In December 2022, New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg appointed Colangelo to assist with his office's investigation into Trump, citing Colangelo’s history with Trump and his family business. Prior to this role, Colangelo held senior positions at both the DOJ and the New York Attorney General’s Office, which were also investigating Trump.
The transition of Colangelo from Acting Associate Attorney General at the DOJ to a district attorney’s office has raised concerns among AFL representatives about potential partisanship. On May 30, 2024, Bragg’s office secured a guilty verdict on 34 charges against Trump. The following day, Chairman Jim Jordan summoned Colangelo to testify before the Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on June 13, 2024. The hearing aims to examine actions by state and local prosecutors allegedly engaging in politically motivated prosecutions of federal officials.
As part of its investigation into these claims, AFL filed a FOIA request in 2023 for all records related to Colangelo's activities involving Trump. The DOJ has not yet released these documents, prompting AFL's lawsuit.
Gene Hamilton, Executive Director of America First Legal, stated: “No one leaves being the #3 at the Department of Justice to go work in a district attorney’s office–no matter which one it is. There is no plausible explanation other than engagement in a coordinated campaign to target one man–President Trump. The American people deserve to see these records.”