Matthew Colangelo, a top prosecutor in the unprecedented criminal trial of former President Trump, has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that he was paid thousands of dollars for “political consulting” by the Democratic National Committee in 2018.
Colangelo, who currently serves as a prosecutor with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, joined Bragg’s team in December 2022 following the resignation of two senior prosecutors who were investigating Trump. His inclusion in the investigation has raised concerns about potential political motivations behind the case.
According to documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, Colangelo received two payments of $6,000 each from the DNC on January 31, 2018, totaling $12,000. The purpose of the payment was listed as “political consulting.” The DNC and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.
At the time of the payments, Colangelo was serving as the deputy attorney general for social justice in the New York Attorney General’s office, under Eric Schneiderman. Bragg, who was appointed as chief deputy attorney general at the time, later joined Colangelo’s team when Schneiderman resigned in May 2018. Colangelo went on to file a lawsuit against the Trump Foundation in June 2018, alleging that Trump had used the foundation’s charitable assets to pay off his legal obligations. The foundation later agreed to dissolve in December of that year.
Colangelo remained in the New York Attorney General’s Office under the leadership of current Attorney General Letitia James, where he continued to work on lawsuits and investigations related to Trump. However, in January 2021, on the first day of the Biden administration, Colangelo began serving as acting associate attorney general at the Justice Department. He then became the principal deputy associate attorney general, overseeing multiple departments, before joining Bragg’s office in December 2022.
Prior to his work in New York and at the Justice Department, Colangelo had a long career in public service. He served in various roles in the Obama administration, including in the DOJ’s Civil Rights division and as the chief of staff to then-Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who later became the chairman of the DNC in 2017. This raises questions about any potential bias or conflicts of interest Colangelo may have in prosecuting a high-profile case against Trump.
The House Judiciary Committee, led by Republican Chairman Jim Jordan, has demanded that Attorney General Merrick Garland turn over records related to Colangelo’s employment at the Justice Department as part of their oversight of politically motivated prosecutions by state and local officials. The concern is that Colangelo’s past ties to the DNC and other Democratic officials could potentially influence his handling of the Trump case.
Bragg’s office has charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, a misdemeanor charge. However, prosecutors are arguing that when coupled with an alleged violation of New York State law regarding election interference, the charge becomes a felony. This has drawn criticism from Republicans, who view it as a politically motivated attempt to target Trump.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and it is now up to Colangelo and Bragg to convince a jury that the alleged falsification of business records was in furtherance of another crime. The case has brought to light concerns about potential political influence in the criminal justice system and the handling of high-profile cases such as this one. The trial is ongoing, and questions surrounding Colangelo’s past work and potential biases are likely to continue to be raised.
