New York Attorney General Letitia James signaled Wednesday that she will not back down from her cases against Donald Trump and vowed to fight any potential “revenge or retribution” he may face.
The Trump-hating prosecutor declared she would not compromise the integrity or principles of the state as she seeks to work with the new administration.
He admitted that “we did not expect this result,” but insisted: “we are prepared to respond to this result.”
“And my office has been preparing for several months because we’ve been here before,” James said during a fiery news conference. ‘We have faced this challenge before and used the rule of law to fight back.
“And we are prepared to fight back once again, because as attorney general of this great state, my job is to protect and defend the rights of New Yorkers and the rule of law,” he said, adding that “I will not shirk that responsibility.
New York Attorney General Letitia James signaled Wednesday that she will not back down from her cases against President-elect Donald Trump.
He made the comments at a news conference when Trump officially won the White House.
He noted that between 2019 and 2021, his office took nearly 100 legal actions against the first Trump administration as it capped state and local taxes and sought to eliminate funding and grants for law enforcement officials.
The Attorney General’s office also fought to protect President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, prevent a citizenship question on the 2020 census and end his plan to dismantle the United States Postal Service.
Based on those previous experiences, James said he knows how the incoming Trump administration will act and has a contingency plan to respond to any attack that comes his way.
“We stand ready to respond to any attempt to cut or eliminate funding to the great state of New York,” he said when Trump officially won the White House.
‘So, despite what has happened on the national stage, we will continue to stand firm in the face of injustice, revenge or retribution.
‘This is not the time to be afraid, New York, but to be faithful and steadfast, knowing that I, as Attorney General, along with my entire team, are guardians of the law and we are prepared, my friends, to fight. ”he declared.
James had previously won a $454 million civil fraud judgment against the incoming president, which he is attempting to appeal.
James had previously won a $454 million civil fraud judgment against the incoming president, after accusing him of inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to obtain better loan and insurance conditions.
She pointed to Trump’s golf club in Westchester and the Seven Springs estate as properties she could seize to make bail payments.
The former president has since appealed the massive ruling, and appeals court judges asked tough questions of New York prosecutors in September, indicating they might side with Trump in the case.
The judges wanted to know why fines of nearly $500 million had been imposed and who had been harmed in a case in which neither side had lost money.
However, the court has not yet made any decision on the case.
When asked about the case Wednesday, James simply said he’s “not afraid of Donald Trump.”