Former President Donald Trump described Attorney General Letitia James as a “racist” after she formally charged the former president and three of his eldest sons with millionaire fraud.
The Republican launched the accusations without presenting evidence of James’s alleged “racism”, but made his comments while speaking of crime in New York and complaining that everyone “is attacking him”, without saying who “everyone” is.
“Everyone is attacking me, including the racist attorney general of New York”, he launched before his followers at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan.
Trump followed the propaganda line of the candidate for governor Lee Zeldin, who has launched television spots against Letitia James and the alleged inaction by Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul to remove her from office for failing to deliver on crime.
“The homeless wander sadly but dangerously through the streets of New York City and the city is dirty just like this racist AG [attorney general],” said Trump, who also cited homicides and drug trafficking in the Big Apple.
A million-dollar lawsuit
The former president faces a lawsuit for $250 million dollars for allegedly modifying the value of several of his properties, in order to obtain better insurance, loan and tax conditions, something documented by the New York Attorney General’s Office since 2019, although he qualifies the investigation as a “witch hunt”.
He also considers that James has an obsession with him, although he does not know him, but he would have said: “I will get Donald Trump”.
The investigation of James’ office began after the ex-president’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, revealed falsehoods in the financial reports of his former boss.
On 21 September, after three years of investigation and several court battles to obtain documents from the Organization Trump, the attorney general filed the civil suit against the former president. The investigation ranges from 2011 to 2021
“With the help of his children and senior executives of the Trump Organization, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself and cheat the system,” said DA James. “In fact, the basis of his alleged net worth is rooted in incredible fraud and illegality.”
Could be criminal case
Trump has denied the accusations, which for now are of a civil nature, but the prosecutor also sent the case to the court of the Southern District of New York, where a criminal investigation could be initiated; The case was even referred to the IRS for possible tax fraud.
In addition to the millionaire payment, prosecutor James seeks to prevent Trump and his children from directing any company registered in the state of New York.
During the investigation, Trump and their children did not want to testify, even the lawyers fought in the Supreme Court of New York to prevent facing challenges directly; The lawyers also pointed out that the former president’s statements could be used for a later criminal case. Judge Arthur Engoron told the Trumps that they had the right to abide by the Fifth Amendment.
The 10 of In August, former President Trump refused to answer questions from the James prosecution, invoking the Fifth Amendment, which prevents him from incriminating himself in the Trump Organization fraud investigation.
Judge Engoron will lead the lawsuit, but the Trumps now accuse that he has made decisions against them and want another judge to be assigned.