New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday asked a federal judge to dismiss a mortgage fraud case against her, calling it a politically motivated, retaliatory prosecution pushed by a president who sees her as an enemy.
Her motion contends the case stems from personal “animus” linked to her civil fraud lawsuit against President Trump and his businesses in her role as state attorney general.
“This lawsuit, and AG James’ outspoken criticism of the President, triggered six years of targeted attacks. President Trump and his allies have used every insulting term in their vocabulary to deride AG James and call for criminal penalties in retaliation for the exercise of her rights and fulfillment of her statutory duties to fulfill her obligations as New York state’s attorney general,” lawyers for James wrote in urging that the case be dismissed.
The filing mirrors one from another Trump adversary, former FBI Director James Comey, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of false statements and obstructing Congress. Comey has called his case politically driven and motivated by the president’s desire for revenge. James faces accusations of lying on mortgage documents to secure better loan terms for a modest home in Norfolk, Virginia. She pleaded not guilty last month, telling reporters the Trump administration is using the justice system as a “tool of revenge.”
To support their claim of a politically motivated prosecution, James’ lawyers argue that the Justice Department unfairly targeted her while overlooking similar discrepancies in the mortgage records of other public officials. They claim that the alleged conduct mirrors that of other high-profile figures who were never investigated or charged, including Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accused of listing three different properties as his primary residence.
“The only meaningful difference between AG James and these individuals is that AG James is a Democratic Attorney General who spoke out against the President, while the others are his allies and cabinet members,” defense lawyers wrote.
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