Letitia James accused of ordering staff to target Trump and allies

Key Points:

• A New York prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General Daniel Wiesenfeld, accused Attorney General Letitia James’ office of instructing employees to "find and pursue crimes" related to President Donald Trump and his affiliated entities, according to an email reported by the Times Union.
• The email was allegedly deleted from the office’s servers, and Wiesenfeld was reportedly placed on paid administrative leave; the office described the situation as a personnel matter and denied politically motivated targeting.
• Wiesenfeld claimed Shamiso Maswoswe, head of the Investor Protection Bureau, directed him to target Trump-related organizations without credible reasons; Maswoswe previously sued the DOJ for discrimination and settled in 2023 for $795,000 without admission of wrongdoing.
• The New York Attorney General’s office emphasized its commitment to upholding laws without political bias, while White House spokesperson Lauren Bis accused James of weaponizing the justice system against Trump and his associates.
• Letitia James has been a vocal critic of Trump, having filed a civil fraud lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization in 2022, which initially resulted in significant penalties, though some financial penalties were later voided on appeal.