Donald Trump's supporters raised concerns about the connection between President Joe Biden and a prosecutor working on the former president's hush money trial.
The second week of Trump's first criminal trial began on Monday, with the former president facing charges of falsifying business documents after allegedly making a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 campaign. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office alleged the payment was intended to prevent Daniels from speaking publicly about her claims of an affair with the former president.
Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges. He maintains his innocence and has accused Bragg of targeting him for political purposes, equating the trial to a form of election interference.
As opening arguments were underway on Monday, some of Trump's supporters took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their concerns about Matthew Colangelo, one of the prosecutors who began presenting the case to the jurors.
They specifically raised concerns about Colangelo previously serving in Biden's Department of Justice (DOJ). According to a press release announcing his hiring in December 2022, Colangelo spent two years in a senior position at the DOJ, overseeing the Antitrust, Civil, Civil Rights, Environment and Natural Resources, and Tax divisions.
The connection drew outrage from Trump supporters.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek, "There is no conflict of interest that would require disqualification. People change jobs all the time, especially lawyers. The investigation was opened by former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., and a charging decision was made by current District Attorney Alvin Bragg."
"In fact, the Justice Department chose to prosecute Michael Cohen alone and not Donald Trump. But it does add fuel to the argument that the decision was coordinated with the Biden administration," he said.
Some spread claims that the connection is evidence that Biden is behind the prosecution, but no evidence has been presented to support those allegations. The Manhattan DA's office is independent of the executive branch, and Biden has offered little commentary on Trump's legal woes.
"BREAKING: Fmr Garland official Matthew Colangelo is now delivering the opening argument in the Trump prosecution. This is a direct signal that the case against Trump comes straight from the Biden Admin, in the middle of an election year," wroteconservative commentator Jack Posobiec.
"To anyone foolishly thinking Biden isn't coordinating these Trump indictments His former #3 at the DOJ Matthew Colangelo just gave the opening statement in Trump's NYC criminal trial today. No, I'm not kidding," wrote commentator Rogan O'Handley.
Former Trump DOJ official Jeff Clark wrote, "Oh good grief! Matthew Colangelo, the former number three Biden DOJ official, is the one who delivered the opening statement for Alvin Bragg today against President Trump."
"You can't make this stuff up!" he added.
"The former #3 official in the entire Biden DOJ left that job to fulfill his dream of being a line prosecutor in a local DA's office. To get Trump. But this is totally independent of the administration," wrote lawyer Will Chamberlain.
Newsweek reached out to Bragg's office for comment via email.
In the press release of Colangelo's hiring, Bragg wrote: "Matthew Colangelo brings a wealth of economic justice experience combined with complex white-collar investigations, and he has the sound judgment and integrity needed to pursue justice against powerful people and institutions when they abuse their power."
It also noted that Colangelo worked at the New York State Office of the Attorney General, where he investigated the Trump Foundation.
Update 4/23/24, 7:42 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Neama Rahmani.
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