Justice Department subpoenas office of Letitia James, a Trump nemesis

The Justice Department this week abruptly escalated its pressure campaign on Letitia James, New York’s attorney general and one of President Donald Trump’s longtime adversaries, opening a civil rights investigation into her office and appointing a special prosecutor to scrutinize her real estate dealings.

Taken together, the developments concerning James mark a stark escalation of Trump’s retribution campaign against one of his foremost nemeses and a remarkable use of Justice Department power to pursue a foe.

The civil rights investigation, which had not previously been reported, is examining whether James’ office violated Trump’s civil rights in its successful fraud suit against him, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

The acting U.S. attorney in Albany sent James’ office two subpoenas, one of which was related to the civil fraud case, which led to Trump being penalized more than half a billion dollars, including interest.

The second subpoena is related to the office’s long-running case against the National Rifle Association, the people said. James sued the organization in 2020, winning the ouster of its longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, and sharply diminishing its power, which it had used on the president’s behalf.

Two of the people familiar with the matter said that the new subpoenas were part of a broader investigation to determine whether the office had violated the rights of Trump or others. It is a highly unusual use of a civil rights law more typically used to investigate potential racial, religious or sex discrimination, among other categories.

On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi also appointed Ed Martin – the far-right former interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. – as a special prosecutor to supervise an ongoing investigation into James’ real estate dealings, according to two people briefed on the move.

James’ lawyer, Abbe Lowell, on Friday called the investigation related to the fraud case against Trump “the most blatant and desperate example of this administration carrying out the president’s political retribution campaign.” He added that the appointment of Martin “makes it crystal clear this is a manufactured investigation to pursue political retribution.”

The White House declined to answer a question about whether it was directing the investigations into James.

Martin is also investigating the real estate transactions of Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., another high-profile enemy whom Trump has singled out, the two people said.

A spokesperson for Schiff did not immediately return a request for comment.

James has been one of Trump’s staunchest opponents since she first ran for attorney general in 2018, pledging to investigate him. Four years later, she sued him and his family business, accusing him of overvaluing his assets by billions of dollars. Trump lost the case and was penalized with the fine. The case is on appeal.

Geoff Burgan, a spokesperson for James, said Friday: “We stand strongly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association, and we will continue to stand up for New Yorkers’ rights.”

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the developments. The acting U.S. attorney in Albany, John Sarcone, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In addition to Lowell, who is representing James as her personal lawyer, James’ office has retained Steven Banks, formerly of the firm Paul Weiss, to defend its staff members.

The civil rights inquiry into James’ office reflects a strategy that has been championed by some of Trump’s supporters, who have argued that his Justice Department should pursue cases against those who investigated or prosecuted him.

They have suggested that a specific civil rights statute, which makes using law-enforcement authority to deprive a person of rights a crime, provides the grounds to do so.

Historically, the law has been used to prosecute police officers or prison guards who mistreat people based on their race, religion, sex, or national origin. The law, however, does not require that motive.