New York Attorney General Letitia James signaled on Wednesday she is not going to back down on her cases against President-Elect Donald Trump as she vowed to fight back against any potential revenge or retribution she may face.
The Trump-hating prosecutor declared she would not compromise the states integrity or principles as she seeks to work with the new administration.
She admitted, we did not expect this result, but insisted, We are prepared to respond to this result.
And my office has been preparing for several months because weve been here before, James said during a fiery news conference. We faced this challenge before, and we used the rule of law to fight back.
And we are prepared to fight back once again, because as the attorney general of this great state, it is my job to protect and defend the rights of New Yorkers and the rule of law, she said, adding that she will not shrink from that responsibility.
New York Attorney General Letitia James signaled on Wednesday she is not going to back down on her cases against President-Elect Donald Trump
She made the comments at a news conference as Trump officially won the White House
She noted that between 2019 and 2021, her office took nearly 100 legal actions against Trumps first administration when he put a cap on state and local taxes and tried to eliminate funds and grants for law enforcement officials.
The Attorney Generals office also fought to protect President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act, prevent a question about citizenship on the 2020 census and put a stop to his plan to dismantle the US Postal Service.
Based on those previous experiences, James said she knows how the incoming Trump administration will act, and has a contingency plan in place to respond to any attack that may come her way.
Were ready to respond to any attempts to cut or eliminate funding to the great state of New York, she said as Trump officially won the White House.
So despite what has happened on the national stage, we will continue to stand tall in the face of injustice, revenge or retribution.
This is not the time to be fearful, New York, but faithful and steadfast, knowing that I, as the attorney general, along with my entire team, we are guardians of the law and we are prepared, my friends, to fight back, she declared.
James had previously won a $454million civil fraud judgment against the incoming president, which he is trying to appeal
James had previously won a $454million civil fraud judgment against the incoming president, after accusing him of inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to get better loan and insurance terms.
She targeted Trumps Westchester golf club and Seven Springs estate as properties she could seize to make the bond payment.
The former president has since appealed the massive ruling, and appeal court judges had tough questions for New York prosecutors in September, signaling they may side with Trump in the case.
The judges wanted to know why the penalties were set at almost half a billion dollars and who had been harmed in a case where neither side had lost money.
However, the court has not yet made any decisions in the case.
When asked about the case on Wednesday, James simply said she is not fearful of Donald Trump.