Tempers Flare During House Hearing 

Tempers flared during a Wednesday House subcommittee hearing after a lawmaker pointed out  Rep. Dan Goldman’s (D-NY) conflict of interest in the ongoing criminal prosecution against former President Donald Trump.

Following Michale Cohen’s testimony, Goldman told MSNBC that he met with Cohen several times to prepare him for his testimony.

“I have deposed Michael Cohen, and I have met with him a number of times to prepare him. This [Trump trial] was different testimony than what his demeanor was during the AG’s case. This is different than he has been in the past,” Goldman said.  “But the question is not how he is on direct examination. The question is how he is on cross examination.”

Goldman’s statement raised eyebrows, with several people arguing that the lawmaker, who happens to be a client of Juan Merchan’s daughter’s, remarks posed a conflict of interest.

The judge’s daughter got paid by Goldman. How on earth can you have someone who pays off the judge’s family deliberately coaching witnesses in the trial, and call it a fair trial? You can’t. This entire thing is a farce. https://t.co/DtcEKuqYMN

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— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 14, 2024

Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) raised the issue during Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee’s Special Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

“What you need to understand is that Mr. Goldman, the novice representative from New York, actually does have a personal stake in this case,” Hageman said. “He has stated that he has been involved with the Bragg case, helping to prepare Mr. Cohen for his testimony. So he is quite closely aligned with an admitted and convicted liar and perjurer. He’s also paid the judge, Merchan’s daughter’s firm over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars for her services. So, I think we’ve got quite a conflict of interest from Mr. Dan Goldman, the novice representative from New York.”

Hageman’s remarks did not go down well with Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), who asked that her remarks be stricken for violating House Rules prohibiting personal attacks.

However, House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) fired back at Plaskett, noting that she had called Trump “all sorts of names.”

“He’s not a member of this committee,” Plaskett responded to Jordan.

Jordan, however, overruled her objections, noting that Hageman “was just stating facts that are in the news.”

Goldman’s office tried to walk back his statement regarding Cohen. Goldman’s communications director, Madison Andrus, told Breitbart News on Wednesday afternoon that the lawmaker was referring to Cohen’s previous criminal trial.

“Congressman Goldman was referring to his February 2019 deposition of Michael Cohen, when the Congressman was Director of Investigations for the House Intelligence Committee overseeing an investigation into Donald Trump’s financial ties to Russia,” Andrus said. “The Congressman has had nothing to do with the Manhattan District Attorney’s prosecution of Donald Trump.”