By Douglas V. Gibbs
New York Attorney General Letitia James played a central role in legal actions against Donald Trump that many critics and supporters alike have described as “lawfare.” The aim was to neutralize Trump’s ability to remain in politics; to tie his hands so tightly that he would no longer pose as a threat to the power and money-train that the hard-left politicians and deep state were enjoying. The investigation for the Civil Fraud lawsuit began in 2019, just as the 2020 Election campaign had begun, and the official lawsuit was launched in 2022 as the midterm campaigns were in full swing. The lawsuit began shortly after Letitia James had taken office as New York Attorney General (and she ran for that office pledging to go after Donald Trump and bag him on something, anything), claiming that Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization inflated asset values to obtain favorable terms. I explained at the time, of course Trump said his worth was more than it might have been. You start negotiations high, and besides the lender if they do their due diligence would have gone by their own findings, not what Trump and his associates said. In addition, the questioned loans were filly paid back and made considerable profits – and those banks not only did not suffer any damage, they wanted to make additional loans to the Trump organization. How was there any harm when the parties left the transactions happy? Nonetheless, the lawsuit that should have gone nowhere resulted in an excessive judgment of nearly $489 million with interest (which had been increased after it was initially $454 million). Then, they rigged it to make sure he could not appeal to a higher court. The ruling also banned Trump from operating his real estate business in New York for three years. The markets, and protecting consumers, as claimed by James, had nothing to do with it – the case was a politically motivated one – and a ruling the Democrats used over and over during the 2024 Election, asking how anyone could vote for a man that was a convicted felon?
James defended her prosecutorial actions as upholding the law and protecting New Yorkers’ rights, while Trump and allies labeled the lawsuits as politically motivated attacks. Legal Analyst Jonathan Turley argued that while James may have “won battles” in court, she could be “losing the war” due to judicial skepticism, potential overreach, and the general public’s opinion.
In 2025, the Department of Justice subpoenaed James as part of a grand jury investigation into whether her lawsuit violated Trump’s civil rights. Simultaneously, separate probes have been launched into James’s personal real estate transactions, including allegations she falsified records to obtain favorable loans on properties in Virginia and Brooklyn.
Letitia James also has a history of going after other political opponents.
She sought to use her office to disband the National Rifle Association, alleging self-dealing and corruption of officials. James notably did not target liberal groups accused of similar violations. The effort to disband the NRA collapsed in court.
James also faced a stinging defeat in another popular case in which she targeted pro-life organizations for allegedly spreading supposed “disinformation” in not just opposing the use of the abortion pill (mifepristone), but in advocating the use of reversal procedures if mothers change their minds before taking the second drug in the treatment regimen. James sued pregnancy centers and was then sued by two pro-life ministries, Summit Life Outreach Center and the Evergreen Association. The judge called James’s crackdown as a denial of free speech, and also noted that these centers were not profiting by this information or advocating such reversal treatment.
As a result of the controversial and politically-motivated nature of James’s actions against Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi has launched a formal investigation into the conduct of James’ office in bringing cases against the Democratic Party’s leading political opponents. A grand jury investigation could be very dangerous for James, as Danny Cevallos, a legal analyst for MSNBC said, “they may be investigating issue number one and then stumble across never known issue number two when going through all of the documents.” James has already been referred to the Department of Justice for potential criminal investigation in regards to allegations of mortgage fraud in which she listed a residence in Virginia and another in New York as her “principal residence,” which could also jeopardize her job as New York attorney general since her primary residence to hold that office must be New York for at least five years before running for office.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
