Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said he filed a request as part of an investigation into whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) coordinated with multiple state prosecutors handling cases against former President Donald Trump.
Ms. Willis, Mr. Bragg, and Mr. Smith are prosecuting President Trump in four criminal indictments, while Ms. James brought a civil case against the former president.
In a statement, Mr. Bailey stated that a DOJ official, Matthew Colangelo, was allegedly moved to Mr. Bragg’s office to prosecute the former president in the ongoing New York trial. He further said that Mr. Bragg worked alongside Ms. James in bringing civil litigation against the former president and used that “experience as a springboard from which to campaign for his current position.”
“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,” Mr. Bailey said in reasoning why he made the FOIA request.
The Epoch Times has contacted the DOJ, Mr. Bragg’s office, Ms. James’ office, and Ms. Willis’ office for comment on Monday. None have publicly responded to the Missouri attorney general’s news release or legal request.
During the ongoing criminal trial, President Trump said that he is being kept off the 2024 campaign trail, referencing a comment made by Justice Juan Merchan in April that he could be arrested if he doesn’t attend his court dates. The trial is expected to last about two more weeks.
On Monday, prosecutors’ star witness Michael Cohen took the stand and claimed President Trump approved hefty payouts to stifle stories about sex that he feared could be harmful to his 2016 White House campaign.
“When he would task you with something, he would then say, ‘Keep me informed. Let me know what’s going on,’” he testified, adding that it was especially true “if there was a matter that was troubling to him.”
“If he learned of it in another manner, that wouldn’t go over well for you,” Mr. Cohen testified.
Ms. Willis, meanwhile, has charged President Trump and more than a dozen other people for illegally trying to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia and racketeering. The special counsel’s office has charged the former president with illegally retaining classified records and obstructing federal agencies’ efforts to retrieve them as well as for alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
President Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against him. The Smith cases have both been delayed, and some legal analysts have suggested they may not make it to trial before the November 2024 election.
The case brought by Ms. Willis, meanwhile, has faced delays, too, after it was revealed earlier this year that she had engaged in a relationship with Nathan Wade, her former special prosecutor. The judge overseeing the case denied attempts to get Ms. Willis removed from the case, but Georgia’s Court of Appeals took up the disqualification matter last week.
Previously, Ms. Willis said that Republican criticism of her case against President Trump is unfounded. In March, she told a Republican lawmaker that his requests for documents were “unreasonable and uncustomary.”
Earlier this year, Ms. James successfully prosecuted President Trump in a civil fraud case that found the former president, his two oldest sons, and the Trump Organization were liable for fraud. A judge in New York City ruled that the former president has to pay $454 million in damages, although his ruling was appealed weeks later.
The Missouri attorney general said he requested communications related to Mr. Colangelo’s move to the district attorney’s office, as well as any communications between the DOJ and the offices of Ms. James, Ms. Willis, or Mr. Bragg.
