Recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) records reveal that Matthew Colangelo, the lead prosecutor for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Donald Trump, received substantial financial support from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2018.
Colangelo, previously serving as President Joe Biden’s acting associate attorney general and spending two years in the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the current administration, joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s office as senior counsel in December 2022. FEC documents indicate that he received $12,000 from the DNC in 2018 for “political consulting,” distributed in two payments of $6,000 each on January 31 of that year. The revelation of these payments was initially reported by Fox News Digital.
A gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan prohibits Trump from commenting on prosecutors involved in the case, except for Bragg.
Colangelo’s appointment coincided with ongoing investigations into Trump’s alleged $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to maintain her silence about an alleged affair. He presented opening statements for the prosecution in April, asserting that Trump falsified business documents related to the payment as part of an effort to “corrupt the 2016 election.”
Trump has consistently labeled the case as “election interference,” branding it a “Biden witch hunt” or the “Biden Case.” House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan addressed Attorney General Merrick Garland, seeking documents and communications from Colangelo’s tenure at the DOJ. Jordan requested personnel records detailing Colangelo’s employment, including his hiring, tenure, and termination, as well as any documents related to Trump or his organization.
During his tenure at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Colangelo spearheaded investigations into the Trump Foundation, leading to its dissolution. He also played a significant role in the investigation that culminated in Trump’s civil fraud case, as reported by The New York Times.
The DNC and Bragg have yet to respond to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation regarding these developments.
