NY Attorney General Letitia James Sues Trump, His Three Children, for Alleged Fraud
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, on Wednesday took the dramatic step of filing a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and his three grown children, accusing them of undervaluing properties to gain better rates on loans, insurance policies, and taxes.
James’s lawsuit is a civil case, not a criminal case. It and to bar Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump from serving as executives at any company in New York, or to bar the Trump Organization from buying any commercial real estate or obtaining loans from financial institutions in New York for five years.
The lawsuit is the result of a multiple year investigation by James and comes less than 50 days before the mid-term elections.
Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, said the lawsuit is not focused on the facts, nor the law.
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference regarding former U.S. President Donald Trump and his family’s financial case on September 21, 2022 in New York. (YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
“[R]ather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda. It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General’s Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place,” Habba said in a statement.
“We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the Attorney General’s meritless claims,” she said.
She has also called him an “existential threat” and “crazy.”
“This president is an existential threat to all of us in this room…the number one issue in this country is defeating Donald Trump. Nothing else matters,” she has said.
Eric Trump tweeted a compilation of her remarks, adding: “Not a political “witch hunt?!” What a joke…
According to the Washington Post, James is suing for more than $250 million and has referred possible violations of federal law to the Justice Department and the IRS.
The suit also names, in addition to Trump and his children, the Trump Organization and business executives Allen Weisselberg and controller Jeffrey McConney.