Allegations of prosecutorial misconduct by a senior member of the Office of the Special Counsel have led House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) to launch an inquiry.
A press release issued by the Committee on September 7 highlights concerns over potential abuses by Jay Bratt, a top aide and senior prosecutor under Special Counsel Jack Smith.
The release begins by noting, “Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent a letter to Special Counsel Jack Smith after launching an inquiry into Jay Bratt, one of his senior prosecutors and top aides.”
The core of the controversy centers around accusations that Bratt “allegedly improperly pressured Stanley Woodward, a lawyer representing a defendant indicted by Jack Smith, by implying that the Administration would look more favorably on Mr. Woodward’s candidacy for a judgeship if his client cooperated with the Office of the Special Counsel.”
Chairman Jordan’s concerns were clearly delineated in the press release, which contains excerpts from the letter sent to Special Counsel Jack Smith.
The letter states that last year, Bratt “allegedly improperly pressured Stanley Woodward, a lawyer representing a defendant indicted by you, by implying that the Administration would look more favorably on Mr. Woodward’s candidacy for a judgeship if Mr. Woodward’s client cooperated with the Office of the Special Counsel.”
In a detailed account of the alleged events, the release reveals, “In November 2022, when your prosecutors were trying to secure the cooperation of Walt Nauta—who is alleged to have ‘move[d] boxes of documents’ at Mar-a-Lago—prosecutors, including Mr. Bratt, summoned Mr. Woodward to a meeting at the Department’s headquarters for ‘an urgent matter that they were reluctant to discuss over the phone.'”
Further, the letter indicates, “Mr. Bratt threatened him that Mr. Nauta should cooperate ‘because he had given potentially conflicting testimony that could result in a false statement.'”
The document also cites Bratt’s alleged comments about Woodward not being a “Trump guy” and implying a connection between the attorney’s cooperation and his application for a judgeship on the D.C. superior court.
Following these incidents, Bratt is said to have continued his attempts to pressure Woodward.
The release states, “After Mr. Woodward declined to give in to Mr. Bratt’s intimidation and coercion, Mr. Bratt once again sought to induce Mr. Nauta’s cooperation by attacking Mr. Woodward’s representation.”
This included filing a motion that suggested potential conflicts of interest with Woodward’s representation of other clients.
Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, the release says, “The Department’s mission is to ensure impartial justice by upholding the rule of law, requiring all Department employees—including Mr. Bratt—to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct.”
To ensure transparency and clarity, Chairman Jordan has demanded the Office of the Special Counsel to produce a series of documents related to this matter.
The letter specifically asks for:
- Documents and communications about Mr. Woodward’s visits to the Justice Department concerning his representation of Mr. Nauta.
- Communications between the Office of the Special Counsel and other related offices concerning Mr. Woodward and his representation.
- Documents related to Mr. Woodward’s application for a judgeship.
The Committee expects these documents to be presented “no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 21, 2023.”
Read the full letter below:
