Letitia James: NY AG Behind Trump Org’s Downfall: On the morning of the start of final arguments in the turbulent New York fraud trial of Donald Trump, a group of demonstrators briefly stopped traffic to express their disapproval of the former president. They were yelling, “No dictators in the USA.” But the protesters turned their focus elsewhere when a dark SUV approached the courthouse. With a “Thank you, Tish!” cheer Letitia James cried out, “Thank you, Tish!” as she climbed the courthouse stairs.
The highest-profile case handled by the New York attorney general to date came to an end with the conclusion of Trump’s fraud trial. James has been the trial’s public face from the beginning, even though a group of attorneys from her office handled the case. Being seated behind Trump in court and occasionally glaring at him and his entourage with looks worthy of a meme, she has unavoidably become the object of his wrath both within and outside the courtroom.
Trump posted on Truth Social in January, all caps,
“I DID NOTHING WRONG, MY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE GREAT, & VERY CONSERVATIVE, THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE HIGHLY POLITICAL & TOTALLY CORRUPT NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS.” “BUSINESSES ARE LEAVING NEW YORK AS THE CORRUPT AG WANTS $370M.” THEY OWE ME MONEY.
James stayed silent during the trial, sharing weekly updates about its progress on social media and occasionally making remarks outside the courtroom. James told reporters on the final day of the trial, long after Trump had left the courtroom after making an odd closing speech, that he wasn’t really bothered by the personal assaults.
James received a surprise victory on Friday. Arthur Engoron, the presiding judge, granted her nearly all of her requests. Trump and his eldest sons were prohibited from conducting business in New York for years, and he was fined more than $350 million.
“Justice has been served today. James said in a statement, “This is a huge win for this state, this country, and for everyone who thinks we should all play by the same rules—even previous presidents. “To falsely inflate his financial wealth and unfairly enrich himself, his family, and his company, Donald Trump engaged in tremendous fraud for years.
Donald Trump is now at last being held responsible for his egregious fraud, lying, and cheating. Since everyone is subject to the law, regardless of their perceived wealth, influence, or size.
James used this defense throughout her 2018 campaign for the attorney general position. The post was mired in controversy at the time due to allegations of abuse by former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
James attended public schools while growing up in Brooklyn with her seven siblings before attending Howard University in Washington, DC, to earn her law degree. She started her career as a public defender before going into politics in New York as a council member and later as a public advocate. She was the first Black woman to serve as a watchdog and filed a record number of lawsuits on behalf of tenants, pensioners, and persons with disabilities.
When Letitia James became the Attorney General, she was the first Black woman to do so. She promised to take power away from big companies and corrupt politicians. In her first speech in 2019, she talked about how important the law is for making things fair and keeping our democracy strong. She said she would work to uncover corruption and be a defender of justice.
Even though the trial against Donald Trump is ending, Letitia James is still busy with other important cases. One of them is a lawsuit against important people in the National Rifle Association (NRA). She accuses them of breaking the law by using NRA money for their own benefit. This shows that Letitia James is committed to making sure people follow the rules and that justice is served.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) may be forced to dissolve depending on the verdict of the ongoing legal dispute. A key player in the case and longtime NRA president Wayne LaPierre stepped down in early January, shortly before the trial started. In a statement, Letitia James referred to his retirement as a “significant victory” for the case.
Letitia James has also taken on other powerful entities in legal battles. She sued the Catholic church for mishandling child sexual abuse cases and filed a lawsuit against the NYPD for their treatment of Black Lives Matter protestors in 2020. In November, James filed a lawsuit against Pepsi, accusing the company of polluting the Buffalo River in New York with single-use plastic, setting the stage for a significant environmental lawsuit against the beverage giant, which is headquartered in New York.
Before becoming the state’s attorney general, Letitia James served as a longtime New York City councilwoman. Some critics, often political or legal opponents like Trump, have tried to portray her as an opportunist who uses her position to gain national attention.
During the investigation into sexual assault allegations against former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, Letitia James, who was once an ally, faced accusations from Cuomo that she was using the investigation for political reasons. Cuomo mentioned various agendas and motivations at play during his farewell address in August 2021, following James’ investigation that revealed he had sexually assaulted 11 women.
Similar allegations were thrown at James by Donald Trump when it came to his own trial. Trump, both inside and outside the courtroom, claimed that James was conducting a “witch-hunt” driven by her own political agenda. He went on record during a November testimony, labeling her a “political hack” and criticizing the case as a political witch-hunt, expressing his belief that she should be ashamed of herself.
The role of a state attorney general is often viewed as a stepping stone to a governor’s mansion. Letitia James briefly ran for governor in 2021, but her campaign lasted only six weeks. She withdrew from the race when it became evident that a significant portion of the state’s Democratic party supported Kathy Hochul, the lieutenant governor who assumed office after Cuomo’s resignation.
Following James’ withdrawal from the election, she declared that she “must continue my work as attorney general.” Her office was deep into its investigation into the financial dealings of the Trump Organization at the time.
James said, “I plan to complete the job. Some several significant investigations and cases are underway.”
The future ambitions of Letitia James remain unclear, particularly considering the absence of term limits for the positions of New York’s governor and attorney general.
Despite presenting herself as an ally to Governor Kathy Hochul, a perceived more moderate Democrat, James has distanced herself from Hochul on certain issues. In an unusual move in August, she declined to represent Hochul in matters related to the handling of migrants being brought to the state. Hochul’s focus on requiring only New York City to house migrants differed from James’ interpretation, who believed that this requirement should apply to the entire state.
Currently, Letitia James continues to stress her dedication to the ongoing cases in her office. In the 2022 election, where she secured her second term with a nine-point victory, her Republican opponent, as reported by the New York Times, criticized her for allegedly losing sight of New York taxpayers while concentrating on her own political aspirations.
James replied, “It would have been a dereliction of my duty,” to the Times when asked about disregarding Trump or the NRA.
“We’ve been really busy,” she said to the newspaper. “And since this is who I am and what I do, I sincerely apologize.”
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