Donald Trump called New York Letitia James a "racist" and a "failed Gubernatorial candidate" on Easter Monday.
James is clearly getting under the former president's skin after he called a Black AG a racist during a rally in January.
There are five reasons why.
The AG is investigating whether the former president fudged his numbers when applying for loans and tax breaks for The Trump Organization.
The pursuit of Trump by the AG has never been more intense.
Lawyers for both sides are preparing for oral arguments on May 11 in a New York courtroom, where they will argue over her demand that he, Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. sit.
The Trump side has until Tuesday to file papers opposing what is arguably James' most hardball demand to date.
James wants a Manhattan judge to find Trump in contempt of court, and to order him to pay her office $10,000 a day until he turns over his personal business documents. On April 25 the parties will be in court.
One of the rare points of agreement between Trump and James has been the number of subpoenaed documents the Trump Organization has turned over to the AG's probe.
Since James issued her first subpoenas, the Trump Organization has produced over 6 million pages, according to the lawyer.
For James to ask for more is harassment, according to Trump's lawyers.
The latest filing in Trump's federal lawsuit seeks to stop the AG's probe because of the harassment Ms. James has been accused of.
James wants more personal business documents from Trump.
The AG complains that Trump has turned over only 10 documents from his personal business files.
There is no more paperwork that would respond to the AG's subpoena. This, despite the notoriously computer-averse Trump's longstanding reliance on hard-copy documents.
Jeremy Saland, a white-collar crime defense lawyer who prosecuted complex financial cases as a Manhattan prosecutor, said it defies logic that there is no other responsive paperwork.
This is a man who claims to be the head of a multi-billion dollar real estate company.
The battle over Trump's personal business documents, believed to have been stored in file cabinets in Trump Tower in Manhattan in the past, provides a window into how James gets in pursuit of evidence.
It wasn't enough to accuse Trump of hiding his personal business documents, so he asked for a $10,000-a-day fine. She accused his lawyers of hiding the fact that he was hiding his personal business documents.
James is accusing Trump ofomitting a key word in order to show that even a word that doesn't exist won't get past James and her staff.
James has been asking Trump for all documents in his possession, custody or control, and the former president's side has replied that he has no documents or communications in his possession that are responsive.
The AG complained in a memo that the response didn't mention documents in the control of Mr. Trump.
There is a big difference between possession and custody and control, according to a criminal defense lawyer.
The omission of documents under Mr. Trump's control is a glaring omission.
James has been resisting Trump for five years.
James was not shy about her dislike of The Trump Organization before she became New York's top law enforcement official.
A defense spreadsheet submitted as evidence of the AG's alleged political bias shows that in August of last year, James said "leadin' because we are all being killed by this administration."
Since her election, she has used television and social media to stake her claim as Trump's most aggressive legal adversary.
According to the spreadsheet, James gave a "giggle" when appearing on The View in December, after host Joy Behar joked that she believed in Trump in jail. James made many statements about Trump in the defense timeline.
Habba complained during a hearing in Manhattan in February that she had taken every opportunity to voice her vendetta against Donald Trump and his family.
The civil probe extends into at least 10 of the Trump properties and is expected to result in some action by her office, likely after the Trump family deposition matter and Trump's federal lawsuit against the AG are resolved.
She has tried to shut down The Trump Organization and the Trump Foundation in the past, and the civil probe could result in a big lawsuit.
James has made clear that she has found criminal wrongdoing during her years of digging. If the AG finds that Trump and others have violated state business and tax laws, she can bring charges.
In some ways he has been successful in avoiding civil and criminal enforcement actions and allegations.
He said that Tish James may be the last person to wield the mallet.
Two of Trump's attorneys could not be reached for comment.
The Director of Communications for James, Delaney Kempner, made a comment on Monday.
Donald J. Trump is entitled to defend himself in court. The attorney general will not be intimidated by the former president.
The courts have ruled many times that the office's investigation into Mr. Trump and his financial dealings is legitimate and lawful, and Attorney General James will continue to follow the facts wherever they may lead. She will not be deterred from pursuing justice.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
