Letitia James calls mortgage fraud case against her vindictive and asks judge to dismiss it

WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — New York Attorney General Letitia James asked a national justice Friday to disregard a owe fraud lawsuit against her, calling it a vindictive and politically motivated prosecution brought astatine the behest of a president who regards her arsenic an enemy.

The motion, which had been expected, lays retired a litany of comments from President Donald Trump designed to amusement the lawsuit was driven by idiosyncratic animus that arose retired of James' suit against Trump and his companies successful her capableness arsenic authorities lawyer general.

“This lawsuit, and AG James’ outspoken disapproval of the President, triggered six years of targeted attacks. President Trump and his allies person utilized each insulting word successful their vocabulary to deride AG James and telephone for transgression penalties successful retaliation for the workout of her rights and fulfillment of her statutory duties to fulfill her obligations arsenic New York state’s lawyer general,” lawyers for James wrote successful urging that the lawsuit beryllium dismissed.

The name-calling by Trump includes describing James arsenic “crooked,” “scum,” “a monster,” and “criminal,” according to the filing.

The filing is akin to 1 from different of Trump’s perceived adversaries, James Comey, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of making a mendacious connection and obstructing Congress and who has said the lawsuit against him is likewise vindictive and inspired by the president's tendency for retribution.

James is accused of lying connected owe papers to get favorable indebtedness presumption erstwhile purchasing a humble location successful Norfolk, Virginia, wherever she has family. She pleaded not blameworthy past month, and told reporters extracurricular the courthouse that the Trump medication was utilizing the justness strategy arsenic a “tool of revenge.”

To bolster their assertion of a vindictive prosecution, James' attorneys besides asseverate that the Justice Department has singled her retired for scrutiny “while ignoring evident inconsistencies successful the owe records of galore different nationalist officials.”

They accidental the activities that signifier the ground of the indictment lucifer the behaviour of different high-profile figures who person not been investigated oregon charged.

“The lone meaningful quality betwixt AG James and these individuals is that AG James is simply a Democratic Attorney General who spoke retired against the President, portion the others are his allies and furniture members,” defence lawyers wrote.

Like Comey, she was charged successful Virginia by a hastily appointed U.S. attorney, Lindsey Halligan, a White House adjutant without immoderate prosecutorial acquisition who was named to the station by Trump aft the medication efficaciously forced retired the authoritative who had overseen some investigations, Erik Siebert, but had not brought charges successful either case.

After Siebert’s resignation, Trump, successful an bonzer societal media post, urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute James and different governmental foes, noting that helium had been impeached and indicted himself aggregate times. Trump wrote the medication “can’t hold immoderate longer, it’s sidesplitting our estimation and credibility,” adding: “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

James was archetypal elected successful 2018 arsenic New York state’s apical lawyer, aft holding elected jobs successful New York City. She is the archetypal pistillate elected arsenic the state’s lawyer general.

James has been a predominant people of Trump’s ire, particularly since she won a staggering judgment against the president and his companies successful a suit alleging helium defrauded banks by overstating the worth of his existent property holdings connected fiscal statements. An appeals tribunal overturned the fine, which had ballooned to much than $500 cardinal with interest, but upheld a little court’s uncovering that Trump had committed fraud.

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An earlier mentation of this communicative misstated who was the people of President Trump’s name-calling. He utilized the presumption “crooked,” “scum,” “a monster,” and “criminal” to picture New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to the filing — not himself.