Manhattan DA hits back at GOP Trump claims

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View online March 24, 2023 1/ Manhattan DA blasts House GOP for 'unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution' In a letter responding to the Republican chairs of the House Judiciary , Oversight, and Administration committees, the general counsel for the Manhattan District Attorney's office says that "if charges are brought at the conclusion" of the investigation into former president Donald Trump "it will be because the rule of law and faithful execution of the District Attorney's duty require it".   Manhattan District Attorney's office general counsel Leslie Dubeck called the letter sent by the chairmen on 20 March "an unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution".   "The Letter only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene. Neither fact is a legitimate basis for congressional inquiry," she added.   The chairmen wrote in their letter that the DA's investigation into Mr Trump was an "unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority," demanding documents and an interview with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.   The grand jury case concerns hush money payments made to women who have made allegations that they have had affairs with Mr Trump. 2/ Ethan Crumbley's parents ordered to stand trial for school shooting The court determined the mass shooting was 'foreseeable' based on Ethan Crumbley's prior actions 3/ Ron DeSantis breaks silence on claims he observed torture at Gitmo A former prisoner said the brutal force-feeding methods employed on Guantanamo prisoners like him amounted to torture 4/ One person fatally shot in Houston FBI migrant hostage rescue Incident took place after three migrants were kidnapped earlier this week, says law enforcement 5/ Man's drug conviction vacated because police dog put paws on his car Idaho Supreme Court ruled that dog's actions made 2019 search of vehicle illegal The Big Question What do we know about the Denver school shooting suspect? America has endured yet another act of gun violence at one of its schools. This time it took place at East High School in Denver, Colorado, where two faculty staff members were shot and a student suspect is now dead.   Austin Lyle, a 17-year-old student who had a prior arrest for possession of a ghost gun two years earlier, allegedly shot Eric Sinclair, dean of culture, and Jerald Mason, coordinator in restorative practice, in an office in the high school on Wednesday morning.   Lyle was undergoing a search for weapons by staff members at the time – a search the teen was required to undergo every day due to his past record. Following the shooting, Lyle fled the scene before his body was discovered hours later in a wooded area. This is what we know about him. Read the full story > £99 £20 for 1 year ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more SUBSCRIBE NOW Watch/ 100-year-old widow of WWII veteran compares Florida book bans to Nazi Germany NUMBER OF THE DAY $1,000 – The amount the city of Philadelphia will pay pregnant women living in three impoverished neighbourhoods per month as part of a new program intended to lower infant mortality rates. QUOTE OF THE DAY "'Lock her up' was a joke! Trump never indicted crooked. But they're going after him hard. They never cared what Trump was arrested for. They just wanted him behind bars." – Fox News host Jesse Watters tries to downplay Donald Trump's calls to imprison his political opponents as he faces a potential indictment from the Manhattan District Attorney's office through a grand jury. 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