Trump Demands Justice Department Examination of Letitia James, Adam Schiff
WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on political opponents, calling for the Justice Department to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James and former Representative Adam Schiff. The demand follows the resignation of federal prosecutor Erik Siebert, who previously declined to pursue a case against James, and comes as Trump faces potential legal challenges ahead of the 2024 election.
The calls for investigation center on Trump’s claims of politically motivated prosecution. He alleges James unfairly targeted him with a civil fraud case resulting in a nearly $500 million fine,later reduced by a New York State Court of Appeal which deemed the penalty “excessive.” Trump also referenced the two impeachment proceedings led by Schiff during his presidency, both of which resulted in acquittal by the Senate. This latest volley underscores Trump’s strategy of portraying legal scrutiny as a weaponized tactic by his adversaries, and signals a potential push to utilize the Justice Department to retaliate against those he views as political enemies.
On September 1, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to announce Siebert’s departure, stating, “I fired him, and there is a big deal, and many lawyers and legal experts say the same thing.” He further indicated he intends to replace Siebert with Lindsey Halligan, a White House advisor, describing the need for a “hard prosecutor” to assist Pam Bondi.
trump also reiterated grievances regarding his impeachments,writing,”They targeted me with a dismissal procedure twice and charged (5 times!) For nothing. Justice must be done now.”
James’ office has not yet responded to the former president’s accusations. Schiff,now running for a California Senate seat,has previously dismissed Trump’s claims as baseless attacks.The Justice Department has not commented on whether it will open an investigation into either James or schiff.
