美国国家公共电台 NPR--Manhattan DA Bragg sues Rep. Jordan over attempts to interfere in Trump case

Manhattan DA Bragg sues Rep. Jordan over attempts to interfere¹ in Trump² case

Transcript³

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Adam Klasfeld, managing editor of Law & Crime, about Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's efforts to stop a Republican investigation⁴ into his prosecution⁵ of former President Trump.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has filed suit against Republican House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan. The New York DA accuses Jordan of interfering⁶ in the state prosecution of former President Donald Trump. Jordan has been raising questions about the grand jury investigation of Trump, and he's demanded confidential⁷ documents and testimony⁸ from Bragg, as well as from current and former employees of the DA's office. Adam Klasfeld is managing editor of Law & Crime and he joins us now via Skype. Good morning, Adam.

ADAM KLASFELD: Good morning.

FADEL: So not that there's anything usual about this case, but how extraordinary is this move by the district attorney to sue a representative in the House?

KLASFELD: Well, it's definitely an extraordinary lawsuit⁹, and the actions that preceded it and the case - it's all very extraordinary. Congressional committees have pretty broad discretion¹⁰ about what they can investigate. But what the lawsuit basically says is that it's not absolute. And interestingly enough, there - a lot of the outer boundaries of this were defined in another investigation of former President Trump. This was by Congress and it was Trump v. Mazars. And you can see throughout the lawsuit and the filings, they're invoking¹¹ that precedent¹², saying, hey, it doesn't live up to the test that the Supreme¹³ Court established in that case.

FADEL: Now, the lawsuit calls Jordan's behavior a brazen¹⁴ and unconstitutional attack, a transparent¹⁵ campaign to intimidate¹⁶ and attack the district attorney. If you could just talk about what the lawsuit is aiming to do here.

KLASFELD: The lawsuit is, first and foremost, trying to quash a subpoena¹⁷ into former - the former deputy of DA Alvin Bragg, Mark Pomerantz. Basically, the subpoena said that Mr. Pomerantz had written a book about his tenure¹⁸ with the district attorney's office, had done a media tour of it, and therefore doesn't really have the same privileges to protect things that he's written about, that he's gone on TV to speak about. And what the DA is arguing is that the privileges belong to the office. They don't belong to him. So on a core level, they're trying to basically declare that subpoena invalid¹⁹ and prospectively²⁰ get the judge to declare any future subpoenas²¹ that Jordan's committee or any other congressional committee might send to his office is invalid and trampling²² upon the 10th Amendment²³ and the separation of powers.

FADEL: Now, what Jordan is trying to do with this subpoena, is there a basis for what he's doing and for his questions?

KLASFELD: Now, one of the things that the congressman²⁴ has said - he said, well, we're looking into federal funding. This is - the DA's office has accepted federal funding into it. Well, we've looked into it. And basically, Jordan had claimed that the DA's office admitted to it. Well, they said the opposite twice. They said that federal funding - none of the federal funding actually went into the investigation and the indictment²⁵ of former President Trump. So the basis will be determined²⁶ by the judge, and it might go to that test that we were talking about earlier, established by the Supreme Court, Trump v. Mazars.

FADEL: What has Representative Jordan said about the lawsuit?

KLASFELD: He has basically said that Congress has the right to do this. He said that - talking about Pomerantz, that he has gone out and written this book. We have the right to scrutinize²⁷ it. And this lawsuit essentially²⁸ throws down the gauntlet to challenge those assertions.

FADEL: Adam Klasfeld, managing editor of Law & Crime. Thanks for being here, Adam.

KLASFELD: Thank you for having me.

1 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

6 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

7 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

10 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

11 invoking   

v.援引( invoke的现在分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• You can customise the behavior of the Asynchronous Server and hence re-brand it by defining your own command set for invoking services. 通过定义自己调用服务的命令集，您可以定制自定义异步服务器的行为，通过为调用服务定义自己的命令集从而对它重新标记。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You can customize the behavior of the Asynchronous Server and hence re-brand it by defining your own command set for invoking services. 通过定义自己调用服务的命令集，您可以定制自定义异步服务器的行为，通过为调用服务定义自己的命令集从而对它重新标记。 来自辞典例句

12 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

13 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

14 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

15 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

16 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

17 subpoena   

n.（法律）传票；v.传讯

参考例句：

• He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。
• Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

18 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

19 invalid   

n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的

参考例句：

• He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
• A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

20 prospectively   

adv.预期； 前瞻性； 潜在； 可能

参考例句：

• Methods: Twenty-four cases with JAS were prospectively analyzed and followed up. 方法对24例JAS进行前瞻性分析及随访研究。 来自互联网
• Our study appears to be the only one a prospectively randomized investigation of 2 different surgeries. 我们的研究似乎是仅有的一个对2种术式前瞻性随机性研究。 来自互联网

21 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

22 trampling   

踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• Diplomats denounced the leaders for trampling their citizens' civil rights. 外交官谴责这些领导人践踏其公民的公民权。
• They don't want people trampling the grass, pitching tents or building fires. 他们不希望人们踩踏草坪、支帐篷或生火。

23 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

24 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

25 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

26 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

27 scrutinize   

n.详细检查，细读

参考例句：

• Her purpose was to scrutinize his features to see if he was an honest man.她的目的是通过仔细观察他的相貌以判断他是否诚实。
• She leaned forward to scrutinize their faces.她探身向前，端详他们的面容。

28 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。