The Justice Department expanded its investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, subpoenaing James for her office’s handling of the civil fraud investigation into President Trump, according to a Trump administration source familiar with the investigation.
Another subpoena was sent to James’ office regarding her office’s investigation into the National Rifle Association. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is leading the investigations, the source said.
The subpoenas are an indication that the Trump administration is continuing to investigate the president’s political adversaries. James investigated Mr. Trump before his 2024 election victory. The New York Times first reported the subpoenas.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in the Northern District of New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.
A spokesperson for the New York Attorney General’s office said in a statement, “Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American. 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.”
James’ attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement, “Investigating the fraud case Attorney General James won against President Trump and his businesses has to be the most blatant and desperate example of this administration carrying out the president’s political retribution campaign.”
In 2022, James brought a civil suit against Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization, seeking a penalty that grew to $370 million and asked the court to bar him from doing business in the state of New York. She won the case, and the court ordered Mr. Trump and his company to pay $354 million in fines — a total that has risen when interest is factored in. The court also barred them from seeking loans from financial institutions in New York for three years and banned Mr. Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation.
Additional penalties were ordered for Mr. Trump’s sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., who are executives at the company. Mr. Trump and his company appealed the ruling over a year ago, but there has still been no decision in the case.
Lowell accused the Trump administration of “[w]eaponizing the Department of Justice to try to punish an elected official for doing her job” and said it was “an attack on the rule of law and a dangerous escalation by this administration.”
“If prosecutors carry out this improper tactic and are genuinely interested in the truth, we are ready and waiting with the facts and the law,” Lowell said.
In May, CBS News reported that a criminal fraud probe led by the FBI had been launched into James for alleged mortgage fraud.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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