Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Department of Justice records relating to the investigation or prosecutions of former President Donald Trump on Thursday.
In his request, Bailey demanded that the DOJ turn over communications – including documents, calendar appointments, meeting minutes, and agendas – between the it and the offices of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York Attorney General Leticia James, Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
🚨BREAKING: I am demanding the DOJ turn over communications relating to the illicit prosecutions of President Trump.
This includes communications between the DOJ and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, New York AG Leticia James, and Fulton County DA Fani Willis.
THREAD:
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) May 10, 2024
Bailey (pictured above), citing “evidence that has come to light,” said his office has reason to believe “Biden’s corrupt Department of Justice is the headquarters of the illicit prosecutions against President Trump.”
“That’s why we’re demanding the DOJ turn over documents that we believe will expose these political prosecutions for what they are: a witch hunt,” Bailey added.
Bailey said his request for documents specifically stems from the fact that Matthew Colangelo, a former senior DOJ official, is now a lead prosecutor for Bragg.
Bailey writes in his request:
In order to protect the rights of all Missouri voters who plan to participate in the 2024 presidential election, the State of Missouri has the right to know to what extent the prosecutions of a prominent presidential candidate are being coordinated by the federal government, which is currently run by President Trump’s principal political opponent.
Bailey’s request concludes:
As noted in this request and as evident in readily-accessible print and internet media, the prosecution of a former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump is regularly in the news. The federal government’s activities, which may include but not limited to potential involvement or coordination with investigators and prosecutors, is directly related to the federal government’s integrity and affect public confidence in the government.
Finally, the State of Missouri does not have a commercial interest of any kind in this FOIA request. The State of Missouri requests this information in its sovereign capacity.
Bailey’s FOIA request comes after House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) also demanded documents and information about the DOJ’s coordination with Bragg, citing Colangelo’s work on the case as a prosecutor.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Andrew Bailey” by Andrew Bailey.
