Letitia James, New York Attorney General, a Target of Trump's Justice Department

Strategic Insights -

As she continues to challenge President Trump's policies in court, New York Attorney General Letitia James has become a target of his Justice Department. The department has opened a criminal investigation into James, focusing on properties she owns in Brooklyn and Virginia. The allegations, which James' lawyer calls "stale, threadbare, and long disproved," echo those made against Trump, with the difference being scale: Trump's alleged ill-gotten gains were in the hundreds of millions, while James' properties are valued at less than $2 million. James has remained focused on Trump, filing 21 lawsuits against him and his administration, and has continued to press forward despite the investigation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, has become a target of President Trump's Justice Department after a criminal investigation was opened into her properties in Brooklyn and Virginia.
  • The investigation focuses on allegations that James manipulated records related to her properties to receive favorable loan terms, a claim that her lawyer says is baseless and disproven.
  • James has filed 21 lawsuits against Trump and his administration, many of which have successfully blocked their policies, and has continued to press forward despite the investigation.
  • The Trump Justice Department has also opened an investigation into the front-runner in New York City's mayoral race, after demanding the dismissal of corruption charges against the man he is running to unseat.
  • James' lawyer, Abbe D. Lowell, says the investigation is part of Trump's "retribution campaign" and that there is "nothing to investigate."
  • James has retained new employees with experience handling congressional inquiries and has hired private defense counsel to defend her staff members.
  • A $10 million appropriation in New York's budget provides money for private defense counsel for those targeted by the US government.

Statistics:

  • James has filed 21 lawsuits against Trump and his administration, with multiple judges allowing her suit to continue after Trump's lawyers argued she was politically biased.
  • The cumulative value of James' properties is less than $2 million, compared to Trump's alleged ill-gotten gains of hundreds of millions.
  • A New York State judge found Trump liable for conspiring to manipulate his net worth and ordered him to pay a financial penalty exceeding $450 million.

Sources:

  • The New York Times
  • Reuters
  • NBC News
  • ABC News

(Please note that the last three are " Hurubie Meko, Benjamin Oreskes and Anusha Bayya contributed reporting")