By Andrea Bambino with Chris Lefkow in Washington
NEW YORK, Oct 4, 2023 (AFP) – New York Attorney General Letitia James hit back at Donald Trump on Wednesday over his virulent attacks on the $250 million civil fraud suit she brought against him, saying she will “not be bullied.”
“The Donald Trump show is over,” James told reporters after the 77-year-old former president left court at the midpoint of Wednesday’s proceedings.
Before leaving, Trump railed against James and complained that the “rigged” trial with a judge “run by the Democrats” was keeping him off the presidential campaign trail.
“I’d rather be in New Hampshire, South Carolina or Ohio or a lot of other places,” Trump said. “But I’m stuck here because I have a corrupt attorney general.”
Responding to Trump, James said “I will not be bullied” and denounced his decision to attend the opening days of the trial as “a political stunt, a fund-raising stunt.”
James, who is African American, said Trump’s personal attacks on her this week were “offensive, they were baseless, they were void of any facts or of any evidence.
“What they were, were comments that unfortunately fomented violence, comments that I would describe as race-baiting, comments unfortunately that appeal to the bottom of our humanity.
“This case was brought simply because it was a case where individuals have engaged in a pattern and practice of fraud,” James said. “I will not sit idly by and allow anyone to subvert the law.”
Trump also resumed his verbal volleys on Wednesday against Judge Arthur Engoron, a day after he was admonished from the bench.
“The judge already knows what he’s going to do,” Trump said. “He’s a Democrat.”
Engoron imposed a partial gag order on Trump on Tuesday after the former president insulted one of the judge’s law clerks in a social media post.
“Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable,” Engoron said as Trump sat at the defense table flanked by his lawyers.
“Consider this statement a gag order forbidding all parties from posting, emailing or speaking publicly about any of my staff,” Engoron said.
The post was later deleted.
– Multiple legal battles –
James has accused Trump, his sons Eric and Don Jr and other executives of colossally inflating the value of their real estate assets in order to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.
Trump does not risk going to jail in the civil trial, but James is seeking $250 million in penalties and the removal of the former president and his sons from the management of the family empire, the Trump Organization.
Trump has denounced the business fraud charges as a “sham” intended to torpedo his bid to recapture the White House next year.
Engoron ruled last week that Trump, his sons and other executives lied to tax collectors, lenders and insurers for years in a scheme that exaggerated the value of their properties by $812 million to $2.2 billion between 2014 and 2021.
As a result, the judge revoked the business licenses that allowed the Trump Organization to operate some of its New York properties and asked the parties to propose receivers to manage the dissolution of the companies in question.
Trump filed a formal appeal against the ruling on Wednesday but the trial will continue.
Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is facing legal battles on multiple fronts.
The twice-impeached former president faces federal charges for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and for alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House.
Trump has also been charged with racketeering in Georgia for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state.