Donald Trump’s lawsuit seeks to Stop the AG Investigation

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Donald Trump and Letitia James (Getty)

Former president Donald Trump this week moved to block investigations into his business practices through a lawsuit against New York State attorney general Letitia James.

The lawsuit filed in federal court Monday on behalf of Trump and his family real estate business seeks to end his civil interrogation, as well as prevent him from being involved in another criminal investigation, the New York Times reported. The suit alleges James was motivated by a political bias against Trump.

“His mission is guided solely by political animus and a desire to harass, intimidate, and retaliate against a private citizen whom he views as a political opponent,” the lawsuit read, according to the Times.

James dismissed the lawsuit’s allegations in a statement released Monday, saying the move was the latest from the Trump Organization “to delay our investigation.”

“To be clear, neither Mr. Trump nor the Trump Organization can dictate if and where they will be held accountable for their actions,” James said. “Our investigation will continue unabated because no one is above the law, not even someone named Trump.”

Law experts told the Times that Trump’s argument is likely to fail, as there is no constitutional protection against political bias for a prosecutor, but Trump could try to prove that James abused his office. The former president has previously failed to prevent Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance from issuing a subpoena for Trump’s tax returns under the argument of political harassment.

Both James and Vance led inquiries into how the Trump Organization developed and reported property valuations. Prosecutors are looking at at least four properties, including three in New York.

During Vance’s investigation, prosecutors recently questioned a former president’s accountant in front of a grand jury. Ultimately, the grand jury can weigh criminal cases, even if prosecutors have to show intent to prove a crime because of the personal nature of the real estate assessments; it is a felony in New York to forge business records or file false documents with the government.

James could file a civil lawsuit against Trump if he finds evidence of wrongdoing in his investigation, which began nearly three years ago. He will not be able to file criminal charges in the case, according to the Times.

[NYT] -Holden Walter-Warner

Contact Holden Walter-Warner

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