NY Attorney General Letitia James has a long history of fighting Trump and other powerful targets
New York Attorney General Letitia James is no stranger to picking fights with powerful targets
ALBANY, N.Y. — Letitia James fixated on Donald Trump as she campaigned for New York attorney general, branding the then-president a “con man” and ″carnival barker” and pledging to shine a “bright light into every dark corner of his real estate dealings.”
Five years later, James is on the verge of disrupting Trump’s real estate empire after a judge ruled Tuesday that he defrauded banks, insurers and others by exaggerating the value of assets on paperwork used for deals and securing loans.
The ruling shifts control of some of Trump’s companies to a court-appointed receiver, meaning he could lose control of prized properties like Trump Tower, a sprawling suburban estate, office buildings and more.
For James, a Democrat, it’s just the latest joust with a powerful foe.
Here’s a look at her political background and some of her biggest cases:
James began investigating Trump just about as soon as she took office as attorney general in 2019.
She launched several lawsuits against the Republican's administration over his immigration and environmental policies when he was in the White House. James inherited an ongoing state lawsuit against Trump's charitable foundation, filed before she took office, and steered it to a settlement that included a $2 million fine.
She filed another civil lawsuit against Trump last year, alleging that his company deceived banks, insurers and others by overvaluing assets and his net worth on financial paperwork.
“It’s the art of the steal,” she said when announcing the case against Trump, turning the title of Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal” against him.
A judge in New York on Tuesday sided with James,
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