1 month ago
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The Justice Department (DOJ) has opened an probe into the Office of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), the state’s apical prosecutor, who brought a palmy civilian fraud lawsuit against President Trump.
The probe by national prosecutors, launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, issued 2 subpoenas this week, seeking accusation related to James’s lawsuit against the Trump Organization arsenic good arsenic different brought against the National Rifle Association (NRA).
An lawyer for James confirmed the inquiry, casting it arsenic weaponization by the Department of Justice successful going aft a Trump adversary.
“Investigating the fraud lawsuit Attorney General James won against President Trump and his businesses has to beryllium the astir blatant and hopeless illustration of this medication carrying retired the president’s governmental retribution campaign,” lawyer Abbe Lowell said successful a statement.
“Weaponizing the Department of Justice to effort to punish an elected authoritative for doing her occupation is an onslaught connected the regularisation of instrumentality and a unsafe escalation by this administration,” Lowell added. “If prosecutors transportation retired this improper maneuver and are genuinely funny successful the truth, we are acceptable and waiting with the facts and the law.”
James scored an costly triumph successful her civilian suit against Trump, with a justice issuing a astir half-billion-dollar punishment for the Trump Organization aft determining the concern overvalued its assets.
Several outlets besides reported Friday that different subpoena was issued to James’s bureau related to a lawsuit she brought against the NRA, arguing it failed to decently administer its charitable organization. That judgement included $6.35 cardinal successful penalties for NRA leaders.
DOJ declined to comment. The Hill has reached retired to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York for comment.
James, who was elected arsenic New York’s lawyer wide successful 2018, has agelong been the recipient of Trump’s ire. The state’s apical authoritative has agelong challenged the administration’s directives successful tribunal and successfully sued the president and his enactment implicit what her bureau said was concern fraud. A New York justice ordered Trump to wage astir $355 cardinal successful penalties successful aboriginal 2024. James’ bureau said that with interest, the fig would balloon to over $450 million.
Beyond Friday’s subpoenas, different Trump medication antecedently launched an probe into her qualification for a mortgage.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) successful April made a criminal referral for James, alleging she said a Virginia location was her superior residence to unafraid much favorable indebtedness terms.
James’s bureau said astatine the clip that the lawyer wide volition “not beryllium intimidated by bullies - nary substance who they are.”
“Attorney General James is focused each azygous time connected protecting New Yorkers, particularly arsenic this Administration weaponizes the national authorities against the regularisation of instrumentality and the Constitution,” her bureau said.
