Protesters Rush Hallway Outside of Jim Jordan's Hearing Against Alvin Bragg

Protesters were seen rushing the hallways outside of Representative Jim Jordan's hearing for the House Judiciary Committee against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Monday.

The House Judiciary Committee, which is led by Jordan, an Ohio Republican, held a hearing to criticize Bragg and the ongoing violent crimes that are plaguing New York City.

"The House Judiciary Committee will hold a field hearing on Monday, April 17, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. ET in New York City, New York. The hearing, "Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan," will examine how Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's pro-crime, anti-victim policies have led to an increase in violent crime and a dangerous community for New York City residents," the House Judiciary Committee said in a scheduling announcement for the hearing.

Over the past several months, Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee have been in a battle with Bragg, following the latter's indictment of former President Donald Trump for alleged hush money payments Trump previously made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Daniels alleged that she had an affair with Trump in 2006, which the former president has denied. The former president has also accused prosecutors of engaging in a politically motivated witch-hunt against him and has maintained his innocence in the case.

In several posts made to Twitter, protesters can be seen in the hallways of the Jacob Javits Federal Building in New York City where the hearing is taking place.

"Protestors are trying to disrupt the @JudiciaryGOP's hearing with signs calling to indict Jordan and calling him a 'traitor.' There's a lot of shouting now that can be heard from the hearing room," Mica Soellner of Punchbowl News wrote in a tweet sharing a video of the protesters.

Nathaniel Reed, a congressional reporter with Scripps News, also shared videos of the protests and wrote, "View of loud protests audible inside the hearing room, led by people shouting "LET THE PUBLIC IN" & "STOP THAT HEARING". Despite shouting, hearing is continuing as protestors appear to be pushed back further from the room. Video taken through a glass door from inside the room."

Shortly after the House Judiciary Committee announced the hearing in New York City, Bragg's office issued a statement saying, "Don't be fooled, the House GOP is coming to the safest big city in America for a political stunt."

"This hearing won't engage in actual efforts to increase public safety, such as supporting national gun legislation and shutting down the iron pipeline," the statement continued. "The Manhattan D.A.'s Office welcomes public safety conversations. We have them every day with out local, state, and federal law enforcement partners."

Additionally, Bragg's office announced that it was filing a lawsuit against Jordan and other members of the House Judiciary Committee, saying that they attempted to interfere with the investigation into Trump.

"Congress has no power to supervise state criminal prosecutions...Nor does Congress have the power to serve subpoenas 'for the personal aggrandizement of the investigators or to punish those investigated.' Yet that is precisely what Chairman Jordan is trying to do," Bragg's office said in a court filing.

Reached for comment, a spokesperson for Jordan's office previously directed a Newsweek reporter to a tweet from the congressman's official account criticizing the suit.

"First, they indict a president for no crime," Jordan wrote. "Then, they sue to block congressional oversight when we ask questions about the federal funds they say they used to do it."

Newsweek reached out to Jordan's press secretary via email for comment.