Rep. Elise Stefanik has filed a complaint against New York Attorney General Letitia James over the civil fraud case she brought against former President Donald Trump, calling it a “biased investigation.”
The New York Republican accuses Ms. James of “attacking [Mr. Trump through] extrajudicial statements,” in her letter to the New York Committee on Professional Standards.
“It is evident that Attorney General James violated fundamental principles of fairness and impartiality by engaging in a relentless lawfare campaign against President Trump, marked by over 50 prejudicial comments on social media during just the first five weeks of the trial,” the House Republican Conference chair said in a statement.
“It’s been her explicit mission since she announced her run for office to go after President Trump,” she stated.
In the letter, the Republican lawmaker argues that the attorney general has made “highly inappropriate and prejudicial comments on social media.”
“In just the first five weeks of the trial that began in October 2023 – before I stopped counting – Ms. James made over 50 highly inappropriate and prejudicial comments on social media,” she said.
In the letter, Ms. Stefanik specifically mentioned multiple X posts made by the attorney general in October 2023 that she considers “prejudicial public comments.”
In one X post, Ms. James wrote, “For years, Trump evaded justice for his repeated fraud, and as we continue to present our case, we will show just how much he unfairly benefited.”
Another post from later in October, the attorney general wrote, “Regardless of Donald Trump’s fantasy beliefs, here are the facts: He inflated his personal net worth and engaged in years of financial fraud to enrich himself and his family. The law applies equally to everyone, including Donald Trump.”
In a third post, Ms. James wrote that “when it comes to running a company, Donald Trump doesn’t care about the facts. Instead, he engages in fraud to enrich himself and his family.”
Ms. Stefanik argues that although Ms. James has a right to “speak freely on matters of public interest and concern” under the First Amendment, she also is subject to special rules and responsibilities under the state’s conduct code for attorneys.
“These rules create specific restrictions that apply only to attorneys, not to ordinary citizens or members of the general public,” she said.
She has asked the Attorney Grievance Committee to conduct an investigation and “issue an immediate interim suspension, disbar Ms. James as an attorney and counselor-at-law, or suspend Ms. James.”
Ms. James alleges Mr. Trump, his eldest sons and their real estate company submitted financial fraudulent statements to gain favorable terms on loans and insurance.
She is seeking $370 million in damages and wants to stop the Trumps from doing business in New York ever again.
Judge Arthur Engoron has found them guilty, and is expected to reveal his ruling on the penalty sometime this month.
Ms. Stefanik, who is said to be on the short list for possible vice president picks for Mr. Trump, has previously filed an ethics complaint against Mr. Engoron, and against U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell, who has overseen cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
“As a Representative of New York committed to upholding the integrity of our legal system, I have found New York Attorney General Letitia James’ handling of the investigation and trial of President Donald Trump nothing short of shameful,” Ms. Stefanik said.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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