(The Center Square) — A group of Democratic attorneys general has circled the wagons around New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of waging a campaign of “political retribution” against her over criticism of the Trump administration.
In an open letter, the 21 Democrats, including Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Rhode Island’s Peter Noronha, accused Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi of “pursuing a pattern of harassment and intimidation” in retaliation for James pursuing “legitimate claims of financial fraud against President Trump and his business organization under New York state law.”
“As the attorneys general and chief legal officers of our respective states, we know that the people rely on prosecutorial authorities to wield the power of government to protect the public interest, without fear or favor,” the AGs wrote. “Deploying the power of the government in pursuit of personal vendettas, to achieve political ends, or to thwart the enforcement of state law is an abuse of that trust.”
The Justice Department’s investigation is part of a broader probe of James’ civil fraud trial against Trump and his family business on charges that he broke the law by inflating the values on his New York City properties.
That trial ended in a $454 million civil judgment against the Trump organization and several of its executives, which was overturned by a New York appeals court last week. James is expected to appeal the decision to the state’s highest court.
The AG’s took aim at the lead prosecutor in the DOJ’s investigation of James, Edward R. Martin Jr., calling him a “political operative with no practical experience” in law enforcement. They said Martin sent a crude letter to James’ personal attorney last week suggesting she should resign from office “as an act of good faith” and that he later showed up outside her home in Brooklyn, posing for press photographs.
“Mr. Martin’s antics and actions amount more to those of a showman than to those of a representative of the United States government charged with ensuring that impartiality, integrity, and fairness are the cornerstones of criminal investigation and enforcement,” they wrote. “In the face of Mr. Martin’s escalating antics and threats, the Department has only confirmed its continued support for his efforts.
James, who was first elected in 2018, has been a frequent critic of Trump and, in addition to the civil fraud trial, has filed several multistate lawsuits against the Trump administration over federal immigration policies, rollbacks in federal funding, and worker layoffs and other actions.
In addition to the DOJ probe, she is also facing potential criminal charges by federal prosecutors over allegations she engaged in mortgage fraud. In April, the Federal Housing Finance Agency sent a letter to the DOJ accusing James of committing fraud by listing a home in Virginia as her primary residence and identifying her father as her husband on federally backed mortgage loan applications to get a lower interest rate and more favorable terms.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is the one who was the one who used the phony charges to attack Donald Trump for political warfare. But she thinks she is above the law. Maybe because she is a black, female, Democrat?
Being black and female,,,then adding in a free taxpayer paid for Liberal Legal education of knowledge her brain was too small to properly process and grasp the potency of, was a true recipe for legal disaster and should become the canary in the American coal mine of the dangers of educating people who are incapable of earning their way through college and suffering the pains of obtaining the education which builds strength and integrity, properly to be able to wield the power that goes along with it. Holding her responsible for her own crimes against both Trump and the American legal system are by no means “Retaliation”,,,,,,just the”Justice” of “what goes around, comes around”. and “as you call into the valley, so the echo returns”. She made the mistake of calling into the valley of the American Jolly Green Giant, and she got caught and called out as the American Democrat party Ho, Ho, Hoe.
Black – above the law
Dem – above the law
Female – above the law
so YEA she feels she is immune…
Other – above the law.
More like ALL of the above!
Democratic attorneys general has circled the wagons around New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of waging a campaign of “political retribution” against her over criticism of the Trump administration.
Yet NONE of them said they thought she was innocent…. interesting.
Innocence or guilt, doesn’t matter. JUST THE fact, trumps coming after her does.
” “Mr. Martin’s antics and actions amount more to those of a showman… ”
Like a “beer summit” kind of action? Like showing up at a detention center, without an appointment, with news crews in tow, to “exercise legal authority” to inspect?
Like making ridiculously long speeches on the Senate floor kind of showman?
Like “we stand with criminals” kind of showmanship?