Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced on Thursday that his office will be suing the state of New York over what he claims is “lawfare against” former President Donald Trump. Bailey accused a “rogue prosecutor” of trying to take Trump off the campaign trail, which he said would “sabotage Missourians’ right to a free and fair election.”
In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying records to pay off porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Trump is likely to appeal the conviction, which may or may not be overturned before the November election.
Prior to the conviction, Bailey’s office demanded that the Department of Justice turn over communications related to the investigations into Trump. He cited the unusual move of the third-highest ranking member of the Department of Justice, Matthew Colangelo, to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in December 2022.
Bailey also pointed out that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg worked alongside New York Attorney General Letitia James in pursuing civil litigation against Trump, and that Bragg promised to “go after Trump” during his campaign. Once elected, Bragg pledged to “personally focus on the high-profile probe into former President Donald Trump’s business practices.”
Bailey requested the communications through the Freedom of Information Act, seeking documents, calendar appointments, meeting minutes, and agendas related to Colangelo’s move to Bragg’s office, as well as similar communications between the DOJ and the offices of Bragg, James, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
