The Intense Accusations Donald Trump's Lawyer Lobbed At Letitia James
One of the biggest headlines in 2023 was the civil fraud case trial against former U.S. President Donald Trump. It seems he has been unable to catch a break since making history as the first president to be arrested after serving office. In 2023, his main adversity wasn't President Joe Biden, but New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who sued him for $250 million in damages.
Given the high stakes of the trial, the politician's lawyer, Alina Habba, has been pulling all stops to vindicate her client, both in the courtroom and in front of the media. Upon securing a small win in the removal of Trump and his legal team's gag order in November, Habba publicly claimed that James was trying to extort her client (via DailyMail).
By December 17, Habba's accusations grew in intensity. Independent writes that she described James as "the attorney general for the state of New York who is trying to kill the Trump family, their organization, and the presidency."
Letitia James has been after Donald Trump since 2018
While Letitia James' lawsuit against Donald Trump finally made it to trial in 2023, her pursuit of the former president has been going on for much longer. James, the first African American New York state attorney general, campaigned for her office with the promise to thoroughly investigate the then-president (via CNN). During her campaign, AP News reports that she described Trump as a "con man."
After assuming her role as the state's attorney general, James, who is also the first female attorney general to be elected, was quick to go after Trump. She was strongly against his plan to build a wall around America's borders, as well as his other policies that targeted immigrants. Her continued investigation into Trump and his organization's financial dealings was why Donald Trump sued the NY Attorney General in 2021.
Trump's lawsuit against James claimed that she was targeting him to "retaliate against a private citizen who she views as a political opponent." However, that did not deter the attorney, who contested for reelection in 2021 and promptly resumed her Trump hunt after winning. In 2022, she filed the fraud lawsuit that led to the famous trial in 2023.
Letitia James is winning her legal battle against Alina Habba
While Donald Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, has been quite vocal with allegations against Letitia James in public, the New York State Attorney General has been winning the legal battle. During the pre-trial hearing in October, the New York State judge ruled that the former president had committed fraud. The following trial has been about determining how much the judgment would cost Trump and if there would be other punishments.
The civil case is nearing a final verdict following the end of witness testimonies in December. The opposing lawyers will submit their closing arguments by January 11, 2024. However, James is quite confident that she has the upper hand. In a statement from the Office of the New York State Attorney General, she said, "While the judge already ruled in our favor and found that Donald Trump engaged in years of significant fraud and unjustly enriched himself and his family, this trial revealed the full extent of that fraud — and the defendants' inability to disprove it."