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CNN’s Anderson Cooper criticized New York Attorney General Leticia James in the wake of her indictment by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. Cooper pointed out that James’ 2018 promise to legally pursue Trump during his presidency appeared questionable. Cooper remarked that it was “not a great look” for someone newly elected, who had campaigned and seemingly hadn’t thoroughly examined any evidence yet.
James, a Democrat who angered Trump with a lawsuit accusing him of constructing his business empire through deceit about his wealth, faced charges of bank fraud and making false statements in relation to a 2020 home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia. Despite initially expressing her intent to go after Trump, she was at that time vying for the Attorney General role.
True to her commitment, James attempted to prosecute Trump for overstating the value of his real estate business. This resulted in a $355 million penalty against Trump, which a higher court overturned in August. James is challenging this decision. On the same Thursday she was indicted, Trump had pressured his Justice Department to file the mortgage fraud case against her, following his vow to seek vengeance against prominent adversaries.
In an extensive statement, James criticized the indictment as merely “a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.” She asserted that the charges lacked merit and that the president’s comments revealed his aim was solely political vengeance. She further stated that the president’s actions severely breached Constitutional principles, drawing criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
The leading federal prosecutor in Virginia, formerly aligned with Trump, personally presented the case to the grand jury soon after taking on the role amid pressures from the administration to pursue charges.
This indictment follows closely after another case accusing former FBI Director James Comey of lying to Congress, signaling the Trump administration’s persistent efforts to leverage the Justice Department’s power to target political opponents and public figures who previously investigated him.
Abbe Lowell, James’ lawyer and a prominent attorney representing multiple Trump targets, said James ‘flatly and forcefully denies these charges.’ James is scheduled to make an initial appearance in the federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 24. ‘We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump’s desire for revenge,’ Lowell said in a statement.
‘When a President can publicly direct charges to be filed against someone — when it was reported that career attorneys concluded none were warranted — it marks a serious attack on the rule of law. We will fight these charges in every process allowed in the law.’
