In response to former President Donald Trump's upcoming sentencing in his hush money trial, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has agreed to testify before Congress on July 12. Bragg, along with Matthew Colangelo, a former high-ranking Justice Department official hired by Bragg in 2022, will appear before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

However, the hearing is expected to be contentious as the committee is currently Republican-controlled, with Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as its chairman. Jordan has accused Bragg and Colangelo of conducting a "political prosecution" in the case against the former president. This hearing is seen as another attempt by Trump's close allies in Congress to discredit the recent 34-count conviction by targeting both local and federal prosecutors involved in charging him.

The Manhattan DA's office spokesperson stated, "It undermines the rule of law to spread dangerous misinformation, baseless claims, and conspiracy theories following the jury's return of a full-count felony conviction in People v. Trump." Despite facing hostility, the office plans to voluntarily appear before the subcommittee after Trump's sentencing.

Trump was convicted last month of falsifying records to cover up hush money paid to a porn actor during the 2016 presidential campaign and is slated to be sentenced on July 11. Before the sentencing, prosecutors will be presenting their recommendations to the judge for the appropriate punishment.

Bragg, a Democrat, had previously filed a lawsuit against Jordan last year, seeking to halt a House Judiciary Committee inquiry into Trump's indictment. However, Bragg later agreed to allow the committee to question former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who had overseen the investigation but left the job after disagreements with Bragg.

Last April, Jordan took the Judiciary Committee on a field hearing near Bragg's offices, criticizing the District Attorney's alleged "pro-crime, anti-victim" policies. Democrats regarded these efforts by Republicans as partisan stunts aimed at fueling conservative anger towards Bragg.

Jordan has even proposed withholding federal funding from any entity attempting to prosecute a former president, as he strongly opposes what he views as the "weaponization of the federal government." Prior to Trump's verdict, Jordan had sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, demanding information about the Justice Department's involvement in the local prosecution of the former president.

The Justice Department responded, stating that there was no contact between federal prosecutors and those involved in the hush money case and that the Department has no control over the District Attorney's office. Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte emphasized in the letter that the District Attorney's office operates independently from the Department.

Alvin Bragg, a former civil rights lawyer and law professor, is currently serving his first term as Manhattan's district attorney. He inherited the Trump investigation when he assumed office in 2021 and oversaw the prosecution of Trump's company in an unrelated tax fraud case before indicting Trump himself last year. Bragg and Colangelo have previously worked together on Trump-related matters at the New York attorney general's office, with Colangelo playing a prominent role during the trial as he delivered the opening statement and questioned key witnesses, including former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks.

As the sentencing date approaches, the upcoming testimony of Alvin Bragg and Matthew Colangelo serves as a significant event in the aftermath of Trump's trial, provoking debates on the perceived politicization of prosecutions and the impact on the rule of law.