In Summary
According to legal experts, Trump must prove James violated his rights, which could be a challenge.New York Attorney General Letitia James is at the center of another lawsuit after former President Donald Trump filed one in an attempt to stop her from looking into his business practices.
According to The New York Times, the lawsuit was filed by Trump in federal court in Albany on Monday. Trump is aiming to stop James’ civil inquiry into his business and stop her from participating in any criminal investigations against him.
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The lawsuit cited a list of public attacks James launched against Trump and alleged she violated his constitutional rights. “Her mission is guided solely by political animus and a desire to harass, intimidate, and retaliate against a private citizen who she views as a political opponent,” the lawsuit read.
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James, a Democrat who recently suspended her campaign to be New York’s governor, said the lawsuit would not stop her from conducting the inquiry into Trump’s business. “The Trump Organization has continually sought to delay our investigation into its business dealings,” James’ statement read. “To be clear, neither Mr. Trump nor the Trump Organization get to dictate if and where they will answer for their actions.”
Trump said James’ investigation is “a continuation of the political witch hunt that has gone on against me.” The one-term president also accused others investigating him of doing it for political motivations, including Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance.
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Vance and James are working together on a case focusing on whether Trump fraudulently inflated the value of his assets to trick banks into giving him loans, per The New York Times. Vance is leaving office and the investigation’s continuance will fall in the hands of Alvin Bragg, the office’s first Black leader.
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James is also facing a lawsuit from more than a dozen gun stakeholders, BNC previously reported. Companies, including Glock and Smith & Wesson, said the state law she implemented violates the Constitution and seeks to “replace the will of Congress and impede lawful commerce outside of New York’s borders.”
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