Albany sneaks in budget language that would put NY taxpayers on the hook for Tish James' legal bills if she's probed by Trump admin
Taxpayers could be on the hook for New York Attorney General Letitia James' legal bills during Justice Department probes into her alleged fraudulent real estate dealings, The Post has learned.
Albany Democrats are expected to sign off on a provision allowing certain officials to tap into a $10 million fund to cover 'any reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses incurred' — even as part of probes not directly related to their state employment.
The language is being slipped into New York's operations budget bill — one of several expected to be made public and voted on starting Wednesday as the Legislature moves to pass next year's fiscal plan.
Multiple sources told The Post that the specific language in the bill would apply to James' looming legal fight.
New York Republican State Committee Chairman Ed Cox quickly lashed out over the move to slip a legal 'bailout' to James, calling it an 'outrageous abuse of power and a slap in the face to every New Yorker.'
'This is what corruption looks like in plain sight: political insiders rigging the system to protect their own, while hardworking families get shortchanged,' he said in a statement.
'Tish James used her office to wage partisan lawfare against her political opponents, and now New Yorkers are footing the bill for the consequences.'
Under New York law, current and former state employees can be reimbursed for legal fees to defend themselves against lawsuits directly related to their work while in office, such as is the case with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — whose various scandals are estimated to have cost taxpayers $60 million and counting.
But the provision in the bill is specifically geared to benefit state employees who, as a result of their jobs, are subjected to 'discriminatory or retaliatory treatment' by the federal government.
While the bill language shared with The Post doesn't mention James by name, it indicates state employees could be covered if the 'legally compulsive process' was initiated by the feds 'after Jan. 1, 2025,' meaning following President Trump's election.
Trump administration refers NY AG Letitia James for potential prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud
Conservatives celebrate after Trump admin refers NY AG Letitia James for potential prosecution: 'Karma'
Letitia 'no one is above the law' James dodges questions about mortgage fraud scandal outside NYC home, pretends to be on phone
The bill would cover those who 'obtained representation by private counsel in response to any request, summons, command, subpoena, warrant, investigative interview or document request, audit or legally compulsive process' started by the feds after that date as a result of their state employment or duties.
James, who infamously declared that 'no one is above the law' when she was prosecuting Trump over his business dealings, was hit with a DOJ criminal referral for instances of alleged mortgage fraud last month.
She has claimed the referral is meritless and part of a 'revenge tour' initiated by the president over her bringing civil fraud charges against him.
James plans to rely on both state funds and a private legal defense fund to fight the battle, a spokesman for the AG's Office confirmed.
'Donald Trump promised a vicious revenge tour when he ran in 2024, and he's put Attorney General James at the top of his list, and we're ready to respond to these attacks,' her rep said Wednesday.
The Democrat in particular has been the subject of Trump's ire after she marshaled a civil fraud trial against him and his Trump Organization that ended with a $454 million judgment.
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte sent a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 14 asking her to investigate and consider prosecuting James, alleging she 'falsified bank documents and property records.'
He alleged James falsely listed a home in Virginia as her principal residence.
Records show that James was listed as a co-borrower on a house being purchased by her niece.
Her high-profile attorney, Abbe David Lowell, claimed in a fiery letter to Bondi April 24 that the Trump administration 'cherry-picked' information against James and called Pulte's request for the DOJ to prosecute his client for mortgage fraud 'improper political retribution.'
But he admitted she had 'mistakenly' listed a Virginia home as her primary residence.
Lowell — one of Hunter Biden's top lawyers in the scandal-scarred first son's special counsel probe — was retained by the attorney general's office rather than James in her personal capacity, according to a Times Union report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
29 minutes ago
- News24
Another Diddy ex testifies to ‘obligation' in coerced, choreographed sexual encounters
A key witness, 'Jane,' has provided graphic testimony in the federal trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, alleging coercive sexual encounters. Combs allegedly orchestrated disturbing acts involving multiple women, with testimony also backing claims made by ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura. The trial has featured intense courtroom moments, including accusations of witness manipulation by Combs and shocking allegations from witnesses about violent and exploitative behaviour. A key witness took the stand in the federal trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs Thursday, giving graphic detail of choreographed sexual encounters with the music mogul that were allegedly coercive, testimony that's core to the prosecution's case. The woman, who is speaking in court under the pseudonym Jane, began delivering testimony that is expected to last for days and which so far mirrors descriptions provided by another marquee witness against Combs, his ex-girlfriend Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura. Combs, 55, faces upwards of life in prison if convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking crimes. Both Jane and Ventura are key witnesses to the latter charges. Jane took the stand after some courtroom drama: the judge threatened to remove Combs after he was 'looking at jurors and nodding vigorously' while a different witness testified. Calling Combs's behaviour 'absolutely unacceptable,' Judge Arun Subramanian said, 'It cannot happen again.' READ | 'Sometimes I scream in my sleep': Witness claims Diddy dangled her from 17th-story balcony Communications between a defendant and a jury are strictly prohibited. The court had been hearing testimony from Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Ventura's who had alleged that Combs dangled her from a 17th-story balcony before throwing her against furniture. Combs's gestures to the jury took place as Bongolan was under tense questioning from his defence team, who sought to cast her as an unreliable witness who abused drugs. 'Hotel nights' Jane's testimony was highly anticipated: she began by detailing how she had met Combs through a friend who was dating him at the time. But he came on strongly to Jane, she said, and when her friend got engaged to someone else, she began seeing Combs romantically. Their relationship began in earnest during a whirlwind five-day date at a Miami hotel, she said, describing Combs - as many others during the trial have - as 'larger than life.' READ MORE | Hush money bombshell: Hotel worker testifies Diddy paid to bury Cassie assault video 'I was pretty head over heels for Sean,' she told jurors. Several heady months followed, including a romantic trip to Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas in February 2021. She said Combs first gave her illicit drugs on that trip. When the vacation ended, he wired her $10 000 because she had been unable to work - at the time, she was creating content for brands on social media - and was a single mother. Jane silently collected herself and held her face in a tissue as she described how her blissful early days with Combs took a sharp turn in May 2021 when he began talking about his fantasies of seeing her with other men. She acquiesced because she wanted to make Combs happy, she said, and to her surprise, he arranged for another man she dubbed Don to meet them at a hotel that very night. AFP Jane thought the experience was a one-time thing, but she said instead, it became 'a door I was unable to shut.' The 'hotel nights' became a regular feature of their relationship, Jane told jurors, even when she said she didn't want it. 'He was just dismissive,' she said, saying that approximately 90 percent of their relationship became a pattern of her having sex with other men under Combs's direction. Full-time job Jane's descriptions of the 'hotel nights' - her provocative attire that Combs requested, red mood lighting, heavy drug use and copious baby oil - closely tracked with the testimony that Ventura gave on the stand of what she called 'freak-offs.' Jane said that the amount of time she spent getting ready for hotel nights with Combs, which he demanded at a moment's notice and sometimes flew her to, meant she did not work. Money from Combs and child support from her previous relationship were essentially her only income, she said. That testimony echoed Ventura's, who had said her freak-offs with Combs came to feel like a full-time job. Combs put Jane up in a home in Los Angeles for $10 000 a month, she said, and when she spoke against hotel nights, he would bring up that point. ALSO READ | 'You post the great times': Witness asked to defend Instagram posts in Sean Combs trial 'My feeling of obligation really started to stem from the fact that my partner was paying my rent,' she said. Jane told jurors their relationship continued up until Combs's arrest in September 2024. Prosecutors say he ran a criminal enterprise of high-ranking employees and bodyguards who enforced his power with illicit acts, including kidnapping, bribery and arson. Along with Ventura and Jane, witnesses have included former employees of Bad Boy Enterprises, Combs's company. Jane's testimony will continue on Friday. The trial is expected to last at least another month.
CNN
34 minutes ago
- CNN
Venezuelans in Florida react to Trump's new travel ban
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to ban travel from several countries to the US, citing security risks, with one of the countries being Venezuela. Venezuelans in Florida reacted to the ban, with one worrying about their visa.
CNN
34 minutes ago
- CNN
Laura Coates explains what happened in court when judge admonished Combs
Judge Arun Subramanian warned the defense that Sean 'Diddy' Combs could be excluded from the courtroom if he continues to attempt to interact with the jury. The judge said he saw Combs on two different occasions during Bryana Bongolan's testimony, looking at the jury and 'nodding vigorously." Combs' defense attorney told the judge it wouldn't happen again. CNN's Laura Coates reports.
