Letitia James’ Trump trial 'probably the most visible case ever brought' in NY history: former AG

07 November 2023

The ongoing civil fraud trial New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against the Trump Organization has significantly elevated the national profile of the Empire State's top law enforcement official — particularly in the wake of former President Donald Trump's four-hour testimony Monday in a New York courtroom.

With the state planning to rest its case against Trump by the end of the week, James has both burnished her progressive credentials and earned the respect of her peers by putting Donald Trump under oath. In a new Politico report, former Democratic New York Attorney General Bob Abrams called the civil fraud trial "probably the most visible case ever brought by the state attorney general’s office."

Democratic consultant Bill Neidhardt agreed, saying "it's been one hell of an Autumn for Tish James."

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"[H]olding not just the Trump family accountable, but all his little minions as well will certainly strengthen her standing nationally among Democrats everywhere," Neidhardt said.

While on the witness stand, the 45th president of the United States lashed out not only at Judge Arthur Engoron — who is presiding over the bench trial and will ultimately decide the verdict — but at James herself, who has attended most of the proceedings in person. Trump on Monday called James a "political hack" and accused her of using him as a stepping stone to ascend to her position. Jasmine Gripper, the co-director of the Working Families Party (WFP), said James has proven her toughness by taking the fight directly to Trump.

"Taking on Trump as a Black woman, even in New York, is no easy task," Gripper said. "His folks are trolling her like crazy. You have to have enough. You can’t come at this lightly, because you don’t want him to get away."

James, for her part, has reiterated that she believes Trump purposefully inflated his assets and lied to the state, adding that she expects Trump to continue his habit of "name calling and taunts and race baiting and call[ing] this a witch hunt." She's seeking $250 million in damages from the Trump Organization and a permanent ban on both the ex-president and his adult sons from holding officer positions in New York-based companies.

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