A federal judge has ruled in favor of the House Judiciary Committee, permitting the GOP-controlled committee to subpoena former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who investigated former President Donald Trump, to testify in its inquiry. The inquiry will seek to determine the use of $5,000 in forfeited federal funds that the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had already conceded was used in investigating Trump before he took office. The committee will also investigate the need for legislation to protect former presidents from “political prosecution.” Lawyers for Bragg had hoped to quash the subpoena, arguing that Pomerantz’s testimony was protected by “investigatory privilege,” which bars members of law enforcement from being forced to divulge details of ongoing criminal cases. However, the judge rejected that claim, holding aloft Pomerantz’s book on the courtroom and underscoring that the privilege is no longer applicable if one writes a memoir. The judge further found that the Judiciary Committee had a valid legislative purpose in issuing the subpoena. Bragg had accused Jordan of pursuing the subpoena for political reasons but the judge said her decision was based purely on legal grounds.