New York Attorney General Letitia James accused President Donald Trump of ordering individuals to follow and harass her, labeling it a "revenge tour," just days before reports emerged that Trump's Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud against her, the New York Post reported.
AG James asserted during a May 3 rally at Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network headquarters in Harlem that President Donald Trump directed individuals to surveil and harass her, escalating the political tension between the attorney general and the president.
"They got individuals coming to my house, standing outside my house. Last Sunday – church Sunday while I was in church – these individuals were in front of my house, taking pictures and then streaming it, putting it on social media," James told the audience gathered to support City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams' mayoral bid.
James characterized the alleged harassment as retaliation for her office's recent civil fraud case against Trump. The case concluded with a $454 million judgment against Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization — a ruling the president continues to appeal.
"This isn't nothing more than a revenge tour! This is nothing more than vindictiveness! This is nothing more than an individual who is upset at me because we secured a $454 million judgment against him and his family and his company!" James declared.
Days after her statements, reports surfaced indicating that the Justice Department had begun a criminal investigation into James, initiated at the request of William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a Trump appointee.
Federal authorities allege James falsified property records, specifically misrepresenting the number of units in her Brooklyn home and claiming her Norfolk, Virginia, property as her primary residence to secure favorable loan terms.
James' attorney, Abbe David Lowell, vehemently rejected these claims, calling them "baseless and long-discredited."
"This appears to be the political retribution President Trump threatened to exact that [U.S. Attorney General Pam] Bondi assured the Senate would not occur on her watch," Lowell said. "If prosecutors are genuinely interested in the truth, we are prepared to meet false claims with facts."
Longtime Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf suggested James' remarks at the rally indicate she is bracing for battles both in the courtroom and the political arena.
"It also shows she is prepared to mount a political defense as well as probably a legal defense," Sheinkopf said. "She's doing whatever she can to alert people who support her . . . which gins up that audience and gets them excited. It makes them ready to fight."
James has not clarified if the alleged surveillance occurred at her Brooklyn residence or her lesser-known Norfolk property. She has consistently drawn the president's ire due to her high-profile investigations into his business practices.
The Justice Department has yet to publicly comment further on the scope or status of its investigation.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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