Letitia James responds to indictment: "I am not fearful, I am fearless"
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New York Attorney General Letitia James in New York City earlier this year. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
New York Attorney General Letitia James responded to her indictment Thursday by calling her charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution "baseless."
The big picture: In her statement, James alluded to the civil fraud lawsuit she successfully brought against President Trump and his company for alleged fraudulent business practices that led to a roughly $465 million fine that was tossed by an appeals court in August.
- The statement also referenced the departure of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, who left his post after Trump criticized him for not bringing charges against James and former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted last month after U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan took over.
What she's saying: "This is nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General," James said in her written statement, which she read on video posted to her social media accounts.
- "These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost. The president's actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties," she said.
- "His decision to fire a United States Attorney who refused to bring charges against me — and replace them with someone who is blindly loyal not to the law, but to the president — is antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country," said James, in reference to Siebert.
- "This is the time for leaders on both sides of the aisle to speak out against this blatant perversion of our system of justice," she continued.
The bottom line: "I stand strongly behind my office's litigation against the Trump Organization. We conducted a two-year investigation based on the facts and evidence – not politics. Judges have upheld the trial court's finding that Donald Trump, his company, and his two sons are liable for fraud," James added.
- "I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space. And so today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job."
The other side: Halligan said in a statement, "No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public's trust. The facts and the law in this case are clear."
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