Letitia James promised to ”tackle” then-President Donald Trump when she ran for New York legal professional normal in 2018. Within the years since, she has sued Trump repeatedly, sparking controversy and profitable main victories in court docket.
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Letitia James promised to ”tackle” then-President Donald Trump when she ran for New York legal professional normal in 2018. Within the years since, she has sued Trump repeatedly, sparking controversy and profitable main victories in court docket.
Seth Wenig/AP
It was one other day of eye-popping courtroom victories for New York state Legal professional Common Letitia James on Friday.
A jury in Manhattan discovered prime executives of the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation liable after a six-week corruption lawsuit that she introduced in opposition to the lads.
Two of the NRA’s leaders, Wayne LaPierre and Wilson Phillips, have been ordered to repay roughly $6.4 million {dollars} between them. Their attorneys say they are going to attraction.
”This verdict is a significant victory for the folks of New York and our efforts to cease the corruption and greed on the NRA,” James stated in an announcement.
Simply hours earlier a state choose in New York Metropolis finalized a ruling in one other case introduced by James, ordering former President Donald Trump to pay a complete of $454 million in penalties linked to fraud allegations. He has 30 days to attraction.
”Donald Trump could have authored The Artwork of the Deal, however he perfected the artwork of the steal,” James stated at a information convention final Friday after the ruling in opposition to Trump was issued.
She then took a shot at Trump’s character: ”The dimensions and the scope of Donald Trump’s fraud is staggering and so too is his ego and his perception that the principles don’t apply to him.”
As soon as little recognized outdoors New York Metropolis, now taking up nationwide figures
James, 65, is a Democrat who made historical past as the primary Black girl to function New York’s legal professional normal.
A Brooklyn native and a graduate of Howard College Faculty of Legislation, she wasn’t extensively recognized outdoors New York Metropolis, the place she served on the Metropolis Council and later within the largely ceremonial function of public advocate.
However after simply 5 years as New York state’s legal professional normal, James has constructed a status as a giant-slayer, concentrating on — and in some instances, toppling — a number of the strongest figures and organizations in the USA.
- In 2019, when Trump was nonetheless within the White Home, she pursued a lawsuit in opposition to his charitable operation, accusing him of misusing donations. She prevailed, forcing Trump to shut down his Trump Basis and pay a $2 million nice.
- Her corruption lawsuit in opposition to the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation, filed in 2020 pushed the once-mighty gun rights group to the brink of insolvency. Longtime NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, as soon as a towering determine in American politics, stepped down in January on the eve of the trial, citing well being considerations. ”LaPierre’s resignation validates our claims in opposition to him, however it won’t insulate him or the NRA from accountability,” James stated final month in an announcement. A jury discovered Friday that he is triggered greater than $5.4 million {dollars} in hurt to the gun group.
- Her workplace’s 2021 probe of sexual harassment allegations produced a damning report that’s extensively credited with forcing the resignation of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who denied any wrongdoing. ”At this time closes a tragic chapter for all of New York,” James stated in an announcement after Cuomo introduced he would step apart, ”however it’s an vital step in direction of justice.”
In August 2021, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo prepares to board a helicopter after saying his resignation. Sexual harassment allegations price Cuomo his job.
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In August 2021, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo prepares to board a helicopter after saying his resignation. Sexual harassment allegations price Cuomo his job.
Seth Wenig/AP
- Her latest victory in opposition to Trump and two of his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, is clearly her largest so far, elevating questions on the way forward for the true property empire that helped form Trump’s public identification. Along with the hefty monetary penalty, Trump is banned from doing enterprise in New York state for 3 years; his sons, for 2 years. They’ve promised to attraction.
Whereas her monitor document taking up and profitable huge instances has received James accolades, it has additionally drawn criticism.
Former President Donald Trump holds up a duplicate of a narrative that includes New York Legal professional Common Letitia James at a information convention this January. Trump has accused James of concentrating on him unfairly.
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Former President Donald Trump holds up a duplicate of a narrative that includes New York Legal professional Common Letitia James at a information convention this January. Trump has accused James of concentrating on him unfairly.
Mary Altaffer/AP
Trump and his allies have lengthy claimed her selection of targets displays bias on the a part of an formidable Democratic politician.
”We’ve got a completely corrupt legal professional normal,” Trump stated throughout a information convention February sixteenth at his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Seaside, Fla., and he promised to attraction.
”She campaigned on the truth that ’I’ll get Trump, I’ll get Trump.’ All people’s seen it,” Trump added.
James campaigned promising to ”tackle” Trump
Certainly, Trump’s accusation that James is a part of a political ”witch hunt” is fueled partly by her personal marketing campaign rhetoric.
When James ran for legal professional normal in 2018, Trump was nonetheless within the White Home. She made it clear to voters that he was in her crosshairs.
In one marketing campaign video, James promised to ”tackle President Donald Trump and anybody who tries to disclaim New Yorkers their most simple rights.”
New York Legal professional Common Letitia James attends former President Donald Trump’s civil enterprise fraud trial in October.
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New York Legal professional Common Letitia James attends former President Donald Trump’s civil enterprise fraud trial in October.
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”I am working for legal professional normal as a result of I’ll by no means be afraid to problem this illegitimate president,” James stated in one other marketing campaign video.
After profitable workplace, James gave an interview to NBC Information in December 2018 the place she promised to ”use each space of the regulation to research President Trump and his enterprise transactions and that of his household as nicely.”
She did as promised.
Throughout her first yr in workplace, James efficiently pursued her first civil lawsuit in opposition to Trump, filed initially by her predecessor, alleging he misused donations given to his charitable group. Trump paid $2 million and his basis was dissolved.
”These damages communicate to the president’s abuse of energy,” James stated in an announcement, including that ”nobody is above the regulation … not even the president of the USA.”
Regardless of agreeing to parts of the settlement, Trump fired again, denying wrongdoing and complaining he was being ”attacked by the political hacks in New York State.”
In September 2022, James sued Trump once more, this time on the fraud fees that led to final week’s jaw-dropping penalties.
Throughout a information convention saying the lawsuit, James acknowledged she would face criticism that her lawsuit is partisan.
She stated her investigation of Trump’s enterprise dealings ”solely began after Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, testified earlier than Congress about this conduct.”
”We’ve got produced proof concerning the scope, the dimensions, the depth, the breadth of the illegality, the fraud that personally enriched Donald Trump and his household,” James stated.
Trump once more blasted James, utilizing a racially charged nickname and accusing her in a publish on his Fact Social web site of being a ”fraud who campaigned on a ’get Trump’ platform.”
The ruling received by New York Legal professional Common Letitia James bars Donald Trump from doing enterprise in New York state for 3 years. It is not but clear how that may have an effect on his prize actual property property.
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The ruling received by New York Legal professional Common Letitia James bars Donald Trump from doing enterprise in New York state for 3 years. It is not but clear how that may have an effect on his prize actual property property.
Mark Lennihan/AP
Assaults in opposition to James amplified by right-wing media
Conservative media have amplified claims by Trump, who faces dozens of legal fees in 4 separate instances, that he’s being attacked unfairly by Democratic prosecutors, together with James, as a part of an effort to cripple him politically.
In Manhattan, Trump faces a legal trial, introduced by District Legal professional Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, linked to allegedly unlawful hush cash funds.
Fulton County District Legal professional Fani Willis, additionally a Democrat, is pursuing legal fees in opposition to Trump linked to allegations that he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election leads to Georgia.
Trump additionally faces federal fees linked to alleged election interference and fees that he improperly dealt with categorized paperwork after leaving the White Home.
”They are going in with a predetermined agenda and making {that a} marketing campaign promise,” stated Fox Information character Sean Hannity in October on the TV channel. ”Does that sound like justice?”
Talking on Hannity’s program, George Washington College regulation professor Jonathan Turley echoed the priority that James, specifically, acted improperly.
”When James was working for workplace, I wrote that I believed there have been severe moral issues with a prosecutor actually making an attempt to safe workplace on the pledge to nail one particular person,” Turley stated. ”This a trophy pledge that ’I’ll bag Donald Trump.'”
On this picture taken from video, Donald Trump sits for a deposition on April 13, 2023, the place the previous president got here face-to-face with New York Legal professional Common Letitia James.
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On this picture taken from video, Donald Trump sits for a deposition on April 13, 2023, the place the previous president got here face-to-face with New York Legal professional Common Letitia James.
Workplace of the New York State Legal professional Common/AP
This month, an in depth Trump ally, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., filed an ethics grievance in opposition to James.
”Ms. James has displayed a private vendetta in opposition to President Trump that renders her unable to impartially deal with instances,” Stefanik stated.
Members of Andrew Cuomo’s internal circle have additionally accused James of bias, saying she used her workplace’s sexual harassment probe to power him out of workplace.
”It is all about what serves [Letitia] James,” stated Wealthy Azzopardi, a longtime Democratic operative in New York and an adviser to Cuomo. ”It has nothing to do with the duties of the workplace. I’ve by no means seen a extra political legal professional normal.”
James did briefly run for governor after Cuomo’s resignation, however her marketing campaign faltered. She withdrew from the governor’s race and as an alternative received a second time period as state legal professional normal in November 2022.
”This case has by no means been about politics”
James did not settle for NPR’s repeated requests for an interview for this story.
In public appearances, nonetheless, she has addressed accusations that her lawsuits in opposition to Trump are political.
”This case has by no means been about politics or private vendettas or about name-calling,” James stated final yr. ”This case is concerning the information and the regulation.”
Christina Greer, a political scientist on the Metropolis Faculty of New York who has studied James’ profession, stated it’s normal for prosecutors to take agency public positions, typically controversial ones, on coverage and the regulation.
”It is an elected place. Is not there all the time going to be politics for an elected place? I imply, she has to have a viewpoint.”
Greer famous that James’ lawsuits are all examined in court docket, earlier than judges or juries. Highly effective defendants, sometimes represented by top-tier authorized groups, have the chance to show that instances are flawed or biased.
As a substitute, James continues to prevail.
”She’s capable of tackle these very high-powered males, Democrats and Republicans alike, as a result of she additionally had a really devoted crew of attorneys [who build strong cases],” Greer stated.
Courtroom rejects NRA’s ”witch hunt” declare
Wayne LaPierre arrives at court docket in Decrease Manhattan in January. LaPierre resigned as CEO of the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation on the eve of the corruption trial in opposition to the group. He has denied any wrongdoing.
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Wayne LaPierre arrives at court docket in Decrease Manhattan in January. LaPierre resigned as CEO of the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation on the eve of the corruption trial in opposition to the group. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Yuki Iwamura/AP
Attorneys for the NRA, too, tried to argue in court docket that James’ lawsuit was politically motivated.
The gun group claimed repeatedly in authorized filings that James’ lawsuit was politically motivated, a part of a ”witch hunt” designed to weaken and silence a conservative advocacy group.
In 2022, nonetheless, state Choose Joel Cohen rejected the NRA’s argument of political bias and allowed the case to maneuver ahead.
”There aren’t any factual allegations [by the NRA] suggesting that the said considerations driving the investigation – reviews of fraud, waste, and looting throughout the NRA – have been imaginary or not believed by the Legal professional Common,” Cohen wrote.
On Friday, a jury once more validated a fancy civil case introduced by James and her crew, discovering that LaPierre and others main the NRA violated their obligation to handle the non-profit ethically.
”We won’t hesitate to pursue justice in opposition to any particular person or group that violates our legal guidelines or our belief, irrespective of how highly effective they’re,” James stated in an announcement.