Tish v. Trump some more

Politico

07-02-2025

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Goli Sheikholeslami and John Harris
Letitia James is taking Donald Trump to court. It's not the first time and probably not the last.
The Democratic attorney general will lead several states in a lawsuit to be filed as early as today targeting the unprecedented access the president has granted Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
The anticipated defendants include Trump and the U.S. Treasury Department, which James alleges risked 'Americans' personal private information, state bank account data, and other information that is some of our country's most sensitive data' via DOGE.
'As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told 'no,' but in our country, no one is above the law,' New York's top prosecutor said Thursday in a statement. 'The president does not have the power to give away our private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress.'
Over the years, James has become one of Trump's chief political antagonists, suing him dozens of times during his first presidency and winning a civil fraud case against him. Since Trump returned to the White House, she and her blue-state counterparts have also challenged his order ending birthright citizenship and freezing the distribution of federal funding — moves that have both been halted in court.
Trump, his top aides and congressional Republicans have defended DOGE's work as necessary to root out government waste.
'The Democrats have no plan on how to recover from their embarrassing loss, and it shows,' Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, told Playbook in a statement. 'Instead of working to become a party that focuses on the will of the people, they are hell-bent on keeping their heads in the sand and gaslighting on the widely supported mission of DOGE. Slashing waste, fraud, and abuse, and becoming better stewards of the American taxpayer's hard-earned dollars might be a crime to Democrats, but it's not a crime in a court of law.'
Democrats licking their wounds after November do appear to be finding new purpose in facing off against Musk, a multibillionaire making deep incursions into federal agencies with Trump's permission. They've challenged Musk's conflicts of interest and the GOP's commitment to the working class.
But while House Democrats need at least three GOP members to help them advance any legislation seeking to check DOGE, James and her allies may have more success through litigation.
At least 11 other attorneys general signed on to her statement Thursday, including those representing Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut and Nevada. — Emily Ngo
HAPPY FRIDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
WHERE'S KATHY? In Rochester, NY having a conversation with mothers to highlight her affordability agenda
WHERE'S ERIC? In Brooklyn, speaking at the African-American Clergy and Elected Officials for Black History Month, and then making a jobs-related announcement in Astoria.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'This is about playing with politics and denying President Trump a Republican vote in the House to move his agenda forward.' — Republican state Sen. Dan Stec to Gothamist on Democratic efforts to delay a special election.
ABOVE THE FOLD
ICE-Y TENSION: A key labor group allied with Mayor Eric Adams is challenging his administration's guidance on handling confrontations with federal immigration agents at shelters, saying it could violate 'sanctuary city' laws and put workers in a compromising position.
32BJ SEIU slammed a memo to city employees that advised they allow ICE in as a last resort 'if, at any time, you reasonably feel threatened.' The union representing building service workers said the guidance — first reported by Hell Gate — would invite ICE in without a judicial warrant.
32BJ president Manny Pastreich told Playbook in an interview that shelters should be 'sacred' spaces not unlike schools and hospitals.
'If you start having ICE come bombing in, it's that much more difficult for our security officers whose job is to help keep them secure and safe,' he said. 'And if you have unclear guidance, then it's just untenable.'
Trump's mass deportation agenda has sown fear among immigrants, including in New York City where sanctuary policies limit NYPD cooperation with ICE. The Trump administration has been publicizing arrests of undocumented immigrants wanted for violent crimes but has yet to execute larger-scale raids.
Adams has been critical of sanctuary laws while vowing to uphold them and urging migrants to continue seeking city services.
His spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus noted that the memo in question first guides workers to ask federal agents for their badge number and call legal counsel.
'The claim that New York City is instructing city employees to cooperate with ICE for civil enforcement spreads misinformation that only fuels anxiety within immigrant communities,' she said in a statement. 'We are responsible for safeguarding the well-being of our city staff, which is why we have directed city employees not to put themselves in harm's way during federal immigration enforcement interactions.'
Pastreich, one of the union leaders who met with Adams during his week out of the public eye, said he and the mayor are communicating and the administration could clarify the memo.
'We don't always agree on everything. We've agreed on a lot with this mayor,' Pastreich said, crediting Adams for better wages and benefits. 'Any mayor that this was happening with, we'd be speaking out. It's not a personal thing in any way, shape or form. It's just an issue we care deeply about.' — Emily Ngo
CITY HALL: THE LATEST
NOT IN MY X FEED: YIMBYs, the yes-in-my-backyard development advocates for building more housing, brought the heat to City Comptroller Brad Lander on Thursday.
Lander's government account posted a video on X of a BronxNet interview in which he said, 'If we don't want to have people who are homeless, housing is the answer, so I support City of Yes.'
'But that's not going to get affordable housing,' he added. 'That's just going to get more housing overall. So what we've got to focus on, especially in the Bronx, is housing that's affordable to people that live in this borough.'
Even though Lander said building housing was a cure for homelessness, YIMBY journalist Matt Yglesias — who supports Lander's opponent state Sen. Zellnor Myrie — joined other pro-housing advocates in criticizing his remarks, since Lander said building units with high rents is 'why people are getting pushed out from their existing buildings.'
Lander deleted the post, and his office didn't respond to a request for comment.
'Housing is subject to the law of supply and demand,' said Myrie in a post. 'If we want it to be affordable, we need to build a lot more.'
Resistance to development and fears of displacement have long moved New York voters more than YIMBYs, who are hoping to grow their clout in this mayoral race. — Jeff Coltin
ENDORSEMENT WATCH: First in Playbook, Scott Stringer's mayoral campaign is announcing endorsements from Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Micah Lasher and former Assemblymember Jim Brennan.
Glick, who represents a vote-heavy lower Manhattan district, was an early supporter of Maya Wiley's 2021 mayoral campaign when she was running against Stringer. Lasher is less of a surprise — he was Stringer's campaign manager in that race. — Jeff Coltin
More from the city:
— Adams rubbed elbows with Trump surrogates Thursday — at least the fourth time he's done so in recent weeks — as he tries to cozy up to the president while facing federal corruption charges. (New York Post)
— City Hall is getting even worse at delivering contracts on time, despite years-long promises to fix slow payments. (THE CITY)
— Another one of the 'Central Park Five,' Raymond Santana, is thinking about running for City Council, for Diana Ayala's seat. (City & State)
NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY
RECRUITING G MEN: Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to capitalize on tumult at the FBI and hire people whose jobs may be on the line as Trump remakes the federal government.
'I'm going to extend an invitation to a member of the FBI who's looking for a job in the state of New York, you join us,' Hochul said. 'It would be an honor for you to join us, and it would be an honor for us to have you.'
Hochul's recruitment push — made Thursday at the State Police graduation ceremony in Albany — comes as the Department of Justice has sought a list of FBI employees who worked on investigations stemming from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Acting Attorney General Emil Bove has subsequently signaled that agents who 'simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner' will not be fired. — Nick Reisman
CATCH THE TRAIN: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs money to fund its $65 billion capital plan. But MTA chief Janno Lieber is leaving how to raise the remaining $33 billion that doesn't have a dedicated funding source up to Hochul and state lawmakers.
'I know they are determined to find a way to fund the MTA and I'm going to let them figure it out with the Legislature,' Lieber told reporters Thursday after his three-hour testimony to state lawmakers.
The MTA's revenue issue remains one of the biggest unanswered questions as negotiations over Hochul's $252 billion budget proposal get underway in Albany.
Hochul has not revealed how she wants to generate the cash needed for the capital plan, while lawmakers have been similarly coy. Controversial measures — like increasing a payroll tax to fund infrastructure upgrades — would likely run into a buzzsaw of opposition from suburban lawmakers.
'We've also put ideas on the table for how to reduce the amount of new revenues that might be necessary,' Lieber said without going into detail.
The state budget is expected to pass by April 1, the start of New York's fiscal year. But spending plans often blow through the deadline. — Nick Reisman
More from Albany:
— An increasingly lengthy list of local judges and justices face disciplinary trouble. (Times Union)
— Republican states are suing New York over a law meant to generate money from oil and gas companies. (POLITICO Pro)
— Protesters called for murder charges after the beating of Robert Brooks by corrections officers was ruled a homicide. (Post-Standard)
KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The Republican-allied super PAC Save American Freedom is wasting little time slamming Democratic House candidate Blake Gendebien in his bid to replace GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik.
The group today will release a five-figure digital ad knocking Gendebien using audio of an old interview he conducted that included criticism of North Country workers and corrections officers.
The more than 2-minute spot is a signal the PAC, which is run by longtime Stefanik senior adviser Alex deGrasse, wants to define the St. Lawrence County dairy farmer as early as possible.
In a statement, deGrasse promised more of the same from the super PAC and blasted a former Stefanik opponent, Tedra Cobb.
'We call this a good ole Team Elise Nuke. Buckle up Blake!' he said. 'Your pitiful defense of your offensively racist and anti-American comments are really ruining your roll out. You might even be a worse candidate than our favorite losing candidate and your mentor Taxin' Tedra. Hakeem is already so pissed — we can hear the screams from the DCCC all the way in the North Country!'
Gendebien's campaign provided a sarcastic response.
'Fun video,' said campaign manager Emily Goldson. 'Now do one that brings down costs and secures the border, Alex.'
Gendebien was selected this week by local Democrats to run for the deep red seat that Stefanik, Trump's pick for United Nations ambassador, has held for a decade. — Nick Reisman
More from Congress:
— House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Democrats unveiled legislation to secure the personal data of Americans amid DOGE's spending sweep. (Fox News)
— Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi wants Sept. 11 to be a federal holiday. (New York Post)
— Only one New York House race has been rated a 'tossup' in 2026. (Cook Political Report)
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
— National Grid workers have voted to authorize a strike if a new contract isn't reached. (Newsday)
— Hochul wants to use a vacant college campus for workforce development. (Spectrum News)
— Buffalo State is offering a round of retirement incentives to help close a deficit. (Buffalo News)
SOCIAL DATA
MAKING MOVES: Gilbane Development Company appointed James Patchett as president and CEO, succeeding Edward Broderick, who was promoted to president of Gilbane, Inc. Patchett was previously a partner in McKinsey's real estate practice and is a de Blasio alum, where he led NYC EDC … The Consortium for Worker Education has hired Marco A. Carrión as president. He was just executive director of El Puente and is also a de Blasio alum …
— Ashley Schapitl is now a managing director at The Levinson Group (TLG). Shapitl was previously deputy assistant secretary for public affairs for the U.S. Treasury Department … Ali Dukakis is now a senior investigator in the New York office of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. She most recently was an Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and producer for ABC News in D.C. … Shuwanza Goff will serve as partner/chief strategy officer and Michael Hayes will serve as partner at Empire Consulting Group.
MEDIAWATCH: Ben Feuerherd is joining WNYC/Gothamist as a reporter covering public safety and policing. He's currently an assignment desk editor with NY1 and is a POLITICO, Messenger and Post alum.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Grace Lee … Gay Talese (93) … Dave Levinthal … Hiltzik Strategies' Marley Ward … former Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) … Justin Papp … Cameron Langford … Cappi Williamson … (WAS THURSDAY): Daniel Yergin ... Michael Pollan ... David Moore ... Neri Oxman
Missed Thursday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.