DOJ opens probe into New York AG Letitia James's office
The probe by federal prosecutors, launched by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York, issued two subpoenas this week, seeking information related to James's case against the Trump Organization as well as another brought against the National Rifle Association (NRA).
An attorney for James confirmed the inquiry, casting it as weaponization by the Department of Justice in going after a Trump adversary.
'Investigating the fraud case Attorney General James won against President Trump and his businesses has to be the most blatant and desperate example of this administration carrying out the president's political retribution campaign,' attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement.
'Weaponizing the Department of Justice to try to punish an elected official for doing her job is an attack on the rule of law and a dangerous escalation by this administration,' Lowell added. 'If prosecutors carry out this improper tactic and are genuinely interested in the truth, we are ready and waiting with the facts and the law.'
James scored an expensive victory in her civil suit against Trump, with a judge issuing a nearly half-billion-dollar penalty for the Trump Organization after determining the business overvalued its assets.
Several outlets also reported Friday that another subpoena was issued to James's office related to a case she brought against the NRA, arguing it failed to properly administer its charitable organization. That judgment included $6.35 million in penalties for NRA leaders.
DOJ declined to comment. The Hill has reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York for comment.
James, who was elected as New York's attorney general in 2018, has long been the recipient of Trump's ire. The state's top prosecutor has long challenged the administration's directives in court and successfully sued the president and his organization over what her office said was business fraud. A New York judge ordered Trump to pay nearly $355 million in penalties in early 2024. James' office said that with interest, the figure would balloon to over $450 million.
Beyond Friday's subpoenas, another Trump administration previously launched an investigation into her qualification for a mortgage.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) in April made a criminal referral for James, alleging she said a Virginia home was her primary residence to secure more favorable loan terms.
James's office said at the time that the attorney general will 'not be intimidated by bullies – no matter who they are.'
'Attorney General James is focused every single day on protecting New Yorkers, especially as this Administration weaponizes the federal government against the rule of law and the Constitution,' her office said.
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