A coalition of pro-life crisis pregnancy centers won a big victory on Monday against New York Attorney General Letitia James over her targeting of organizations that promote a protocol that can help a mother save her child if she regrets taking an abortion pill.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit <a href="https://adflegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/nifla-v-james-2025-12-01-appellate-opinion.pdf">affirmed</a> that the coalition has a First Amendment right to speak about the abortion pill reversal protocol, a process that is meant for women who want to counter the effects of taking an abortion-inducing drug. In 2024, James <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2024/attorney-general-james-sues-anti-abortion-group-and-11-new-york-crisis-pregnancy">sued</a> 11 faith-based pregnancy centers for their promotion of the protocol, claiming they were spreading false and misleading information.
“Many women regret their abortions, and some change their minds after taking the first abortion drug and want to try to save their unborn babies’ lives. They should be allowed to hear about this option and make that choice,” said Caroline Lindsay, a lawyer for Alliance Defending Freedom who represented the coalition in court.
The protocol is a method <a href="https://lozierinstitute.org/abortion-pill-reversal-a-record-of-safety-and-efficacy/">backed</a> by a coalition of pro-life organizations and involves a woman taking a prescribed dose of bioidentical progesterone to potentially reverse the effects of Mifepristone and save an unborn child if she changes her mind at the last minute about going through with the abortion.
The coalition was composed of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, Gianna’s House, and Options Care Center. While James did not sue them over the abortion pill reversal protocol, they argued in court that her actions could infringe on their free speech rights. A district court agreed, granting the coalition an injunction against James. The appeals court on Monday upheld that decision.
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“The district court correctly determined that the speech at issue is noncommercial because, based on the uncontroverted evidence in the current record, the speech is religiously and morally motivated, the [National Institute of Family and Life Advocates] plaintiﬀs receive no remuneration or other financial benefit for engaging in it, and, as the NIFLA plaintiﬀs do not provide [Abortion Pill Reversal] themselves, the speech serves only to provide the public with information about [Abortion Pill Reversal] and access to third-party providers that can oﬀer [Abortion Pill Reversal],” the judges wrote.
In May 2024, James <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-crisis-pregnancy-centers-pick-up-legal-victory-against-letitia-james">announced</a> a suit against Heartbeat International and 11 pregnancy center organizations for promoting the abortion pill reversal protocol. James claimed that the organization was “spreading dangerous misinformation by advertising &#8216;abortion reversals&#8217; without any medical and scientific proof.”
Heartbeat International says that the lives of over 7,000 babies have been saved through the abortion pill reversal protocol. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether a Christian pregnancy center can challenge New Jersey over a wide-ranging subpoena it issued related to the protocol.

NYC Early Voting Surges Ahead Of Nov. 4 Mayoral Election

Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Pick Up Big Win Against New York AG Letitia James

Abortion

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Courts

First Amendment

Letitia James

New York

pregnancy centers

U.S.

A coalition of officials from 20 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over the government’s plan to overhaul an Obama-era approach to homelessness.
Nineteen state attorneys general and two governors joined the <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/washington-et-al-v-united-states-department-of-housing-and-urban-development-et-al-complaint-2025.pdf">lawsuit</a>, <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-trump-administration-protect-billions-dollars-fight">led</a> by New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James. The lawsuit seeks to stop reforms to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s &#8220;Continuum of Care&#8221; program funding, which provides grants to groups that provide housing to homeless people and families.
The Trump administration plans to significantly reduce funds allocated to so-called “Housing First” providers. Under the department’s current homelessness grant structure, nearly all funding goes to providers that offer housing without requiring tenants to stay sober, pursue job training, or participate in other support services.
“HUD has adopted new policies, without any meaningful public input, that reverse the agency’s longstanding support for Housing First policies and fundamentally undermine the goal of providing dependable housing,” the lawsuit states. “A Housing First model provides stable housing to individuals without preconditions like sobriety or minimum income. It is a model that Congress, experts, and, until recently, HUD itself, have agreed improves housing stability and health while reducing costs.”
The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the Continuum of Care program “are unlawful several times over.”
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The Housing First strategy was introduced to federal programs under the administration of former President George W. Bush. Housing First was massively expanded under former President Barack Obama, who <a href="https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/economy/article24585973.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> in 2010 to eliminate homelessness within a decade with major reforms to the federal approach to homelessness.
Critics of Housing First say the strategy has led to a backsliding in efforts to combat homelessness in the United States. Critics argue that the approach falls short by failing to address the root causes of homelessness, such as economic insecurity, mental illness, and drug addiction.
A 2022 <a href="https://ciceroinstitute.org/research/housing-first-is-a-failure/">report</a> by the Cicero Institute shows that, contrary to the Obama administration’s 2010 aims, homelessness in the United States has significantly worsened in areas that rely on a Housing First approach. The study found that homelessness increased by nearly 25% in areas that exclusively rely on the Housing First model.
Rep. Andy Barr, a Kentucky Republican, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-republican-congressman-wants-to-end-the-progressive-policy-hurting-the-homeless">leading</a> an effort in Congress to address the federal government’s reliance on the housing first model. Barr, who is running to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), has introduced legislation to cut funding for housing providers that use the Housing First approach.
“Housing First policy shuts out providers who offer critical wraparound services that are often essential for helping individuals break the cycle of homelessness,” Barr said. “We need to abandon HUD’s exclusive reliance on Housing First in favor of an all-hands-on-deck approach to equip the best and most effective providers with the federal funds needed to end homelessness.”
The states suing include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, along with the commonwealths of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Barack Obama

20 States Sue To Block Trump’s Cuts To Failed Obama Homelessness Policy

20 States Sue After Trump Makes Cuts To Failed Obama-Era Approach To Homelessness

Donald Trump

Homelessness

Housing

Politics

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi warned former FBI Director James Comey and New York AG Letitia James on Monday that the Department of Justice is not done with them, promising an appeal after a federal judge dismissed charges against the pair.
&#8220;We’ll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal, to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct,&#8221; Bondi told the press on Monday, Fox News reported.
&#8220;I’m not worried about someone who has been charged with a very serious crime,&#8221; she said specifically of Comey. &#8220;His alleged actions were a betrayal of public trust.&#8221;
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed charges without prejudice against both Comey and James on procedural grounds, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-tosses-charges-against-james-comey-letitia-james?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Federal+Judge+Tosses+Charges+Against+James+Comey%2C+Letitia+James">The Daily Wire</a> reported Monday. Currie said Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-appointed prosecutor who secured their indictments, was unlawfully serving as interim U.S. attorney.
President Donald Trump appointed Halligan to serve as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, replacing former U.S. attorney Erik Siebert. Siebert resigned from the position after leading investigations into Comey and James, but stopping short of filing charges. Halligan was previously a member of Trump’s legal team.
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&#8220;We have made Lindsey Halligan a special U.S. attorney so she is in court, she can fight in court just like she was, and we believe we will be successful on appeal,&#8221; Bondi said.
&#8220;And I&#8217;ll tell you, Lindsey Halligan, I talked to all of our U.S. attorneys, the majority of them around the country, and Lindsey Halligan is an excellent U.S. attorney,&#8221; she added. &#8220;And shame on them for not wanting her in office.&#8221;
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comey-indicted-for-lying-to-congress-no-one-is-above-the-law">indicted</a> Comey in September on charges of giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges stemmed from testimony Comey delivered to Congress in 2020 on his handling of the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
The department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/letitia-james-indicted-following-doj-probe-into-2023-sweetheart-home-loan">brought</a> charges against James in October, over a loan she received in 2023 to secure a mortgage on a house in Virginia. James allegedly claimed the Virginia home as her primary residence while working as New York’s attorney general, a position which requires James to live in the state of New York. James secured more favorable terms on the mortgage, while the home was occupied by a relative of James instead.
James made a name for herself by leading a civil fraud case against Trump. The case was widely viewed as highly controversial and unprecedented legal warfare, especially since James expressly campaigned on “leading the resistance” to “take on” Trump.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-tosses-charges-against-james-comey-letitia-james?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Federal+Judge+Tosses+Charges+Against+James+Comey%2C+Letitia+James">Federal Judge Tosses Charges Against James Comey, Letitia James</a>

Pam Bondi

Not So Fast: Pam Bondi Has Message For James Comey And Letitia James

Not so Fast: AG Pam Bondi Has Message For James Comey And Letitia James

Department of Justice

James Comey

A federal judge on Monday dismissed charges against former FBI head James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed the charges against both Comey and James after finding that Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-appointed prosecutor who secured their indictments, was unlawfully serving as interim U.S. attorney.
“I agree with Mr. Comey that the attorney general’s attempt to install Ms. Halligan as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid. And because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey’s motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice,” Currie wrote in an order dismissing the case against the former FBI head, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/nyregion/james-comey-case-dismissed.html">The New York Times</a>.
The judge dismissed the charges against James in a similar order. The pair of rulings is a setback for President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, which has brought several high-profile cases against top Trump antagonists.
Prosecutors could attempt to refile the charges against Comey and James, or the department could appeal the judge&#8217;s rulings.
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Trump appointed Halligan, previously a member of Trump’s legal team, to serve as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, replacing former U.S. attorney Erik Siebert. Siebert resigned from the position after leading investigations into Comey and James, but stopping short of filing charges.
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comey-indicted-for-lying-to-congress-no-one-is-above-the-law">indicted</a> Comey in September on charges of ​​giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges stemmed from testimony Comey delivered to Congress in 2020 on his handling of the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
The department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/letitia-james-indicted-following-doj-probe-into-2023-sweetheart-home-loan">brought</a> charges against James in October over a loan she received in 2023 to secure a mortgage on a house in Virginia. James allegedly claimed the Virginia home as her primary residence while working as New York’s attorney general, a position which requires James to live in the state of New York. James secured more favorable terms on the mortgage, while the home was occupied by a relative of James instead.
Comey and James denied the charges against them.
Trump has openly disdained Comey and James, while denying accusations that he directed the Justice Department to file charges against either.
“You don’t have to instruct them because they were so dirty, they were so crooked, they were so corrupt that the honest people we have … go after them automatically,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-bolton-comey-james-were-so-dirty-doj-had-no-choice-but-to-prosecute">said</a> Trump earlier this month.

James Comey, Letitia James

Federal Judge Tosses Charges Against James Comey, Letitia James

State Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY) called on Monday for the mortgage fraud charges against her to be dropped, arguing in a 22-page filing that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration had engaged in &#8220;outrageous government conduct&#8221; in bringing the case in the first place.
Attorneys representing James argued in the filing that the charges themselves were &#8220;patently unconstitutional,&#8221; according to a CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/letitia-james-mortgage-fraud-charges-dropped-outrageous-government-conduct/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=879195998">report</a>. They claimed that several officials within the Trump administration had embarked upon &#8220;months of unethical behavior&#8221; culminating in the allegation that she&#8217;d bought property in the state of Virginia, calling it a &#8220;second home&#8221; to secure a lower interest rate but instead turning it out as a rental property.
&#8220;If this brazen, continuous disregard for the law and the Constitution is not outrageous government conduct, nothing is,&#8221; the attorneys claimed, naming Fair Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte, top Justice Department official Ed Martin, and interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan in the filing.
Pulte was the one who sparked the investigation into the New York Attorney General — who had herself run on a platform of &#8220;getting Trump&#8221; and then willed a case into reality in her attempt to follow through. Pulte referred James for prosecution, but her attorneys claimed that he had &#8220;transformed the little-known agency into a weapon to be brandished against President Trump&#8217;s political enemies.&#8221;
They also attacked the Justice Department&#8217;s special attorney for mortgage fraud, Ed Martin – who called for James to resign shortly after the charges were filed — arguing that he &#8220;has engaged in a well-documented series of actions that cannot be described as anything but outrageous.&#8221;
&#8220;The letter was not an attempt to investigate the facts, nor did it hide his plain intention to pressure the sitting Attorney General of New York to resign from office or face criminal prosecution,&#8221; the lawyers said, also asserting that it represented a violation of &#8220;various codes of professional responsibility and ethics,&#8221; among other things.
They were equally displeased with Halligan, and claimed that the case against James amounted to &#8220;vindictive prosecution.&#8221;
The attorneys concluded by claiming that the Trump administration was out to &#8220;punish AG James for daring to take a stand against the President—both in this Court and by making the investigation of her so public and intrusive that the pre-trial process itself serves as punishment.&#8221;

New York State Attorney General Letitia James makes an

Letitia James Wants Her Fraud Case Tossed Because Of ‘Outrageous Government Conduct’

Letitia James Wants Her Fraud Case Tossed Because Of 'Outrageous Government Conduct'

Fraud

Lawfare

President Donald Trump denied that recent prosecutions against some of his most vocal critics amount to “political retribution,” saying the accused “were so dirty, they were so crooked&#8221; that prosecution was necessary.
Trump sat for an <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/read-full-transcript-norah-odonnell-60-minutes-interview-with-president-trump/">interview</a> with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” his first interview with the program in five years. CBS correspondent Norah O&#8217;Donnell asked the president about recent Justice Department cases brought against his former national security adviser John Bolton, former FBI chief James Comey, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Asked if the prosecutions amount to retribution, Trump reminded O’Donnell that he was indicted first.
“You know who got indicted? The man you&#8217;re looking at. I got indicted, and I was innocent. And here I am, because I was able to beat all of the nonsense that was thrown at me,” Trump responded.
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“These people are scum. And yet, when you go after a dirty cop like Comey or a guy like Bolton, who I hear has, I don’t know anything about it, I hear he took records all over the place,” Trump continued. “Letitia James is a terrible, dishonest person, in my opinion. Terrible. I just won the case against her. She wanted me to pay $500 million for something I didn’t do anything wrong on. And the judge just overturned the decision.”
Comey was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comey-indicted-for-lying-to-congress-no-one-is-above-the-law">indicted</a> in September on charges of ​​giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges against Comey stem from testimony he delivered to Congress in 2020 on his handling of the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Bolton was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-bolton-indicted-after-classified-documents-probe-report">indicted</a> last month. The former national security adviser was charged on 18 counts of retention and transmission of national defense information. According to the indictment, Bolton shared classified information over his personal email, which was later hacked by Iran.
James was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/letitia-james-indicted-following-doj-probe-into-2023-sweetheart-home-loan">charged</a> last month over a loan she received in 2023 for a mortgage on a house in Virginia. James allegedly claimed the Virginia home as her primary residence when, as New York’s attorney general, she was required to live in the state of New York. The home instead was occupied by a relative of James.
All three defendants have denied the charges against them.
Trump denied that he instructed Justice Department officials to investigate or charge any of the defendants.
“You don&#8217;t have to instruct them because they were so dirty, they were so crooked, they were so corrupt that the honest people we have … go after them automatically,” said Trump.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think I&#8217;ve been very mild-mannered. You&#8217;re looking at a man who was indicted many times, and I had to beat the rap,” says President Trump after the recent indictments of high-profile figures who have publicly denounced him. <a href="https://t.co/XHoIr77Eh1">https://t.co/XHoIr77Eh1</a> <a href="https://t.co/tLH0fxW2wI">pic.twitter.com/tLH0fxW2wI</a>
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1985146947200569584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote>

Trump Says Bolton, Comey, James ‘Were So Dirty’ DOJ Had No Choice But To Prosecute

John Bolton

President Donald Trump awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, New York Attorney General Letitia James&#8217; grandniece may be a fugitive from the law, and the U.K.&#8217;s Labour Party turns to digital ID to curb illegal immigration.
It’s Wednesday, October 15, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Awards Charlie Kirk The Highest Civilian Honor</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986115" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump posthumously honored Charlie Kirk on Tuesday, on what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday, with the country’s highest civilian award: the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In front of a large audience in the Rose Garden, the president presented the award to Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk. The event was attended by many family members, friends, and acquaintances of Kirk from within the administration, Kirk’s conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, and elsewhere.
“Five weeks ago, our nation was robbed of this extraordinary champion. He was a champion in every way — I got to know him so well,” said Trump. “It was a horrible, heinous, demonic act of murder. He was assassinated in the prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth, for living his faith, and relentlessly fighting for a better and stronger America. He loved this country, and that’s why this afternoon, it’s my privilege to posthumously award Charles James Kirk our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
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Erika Kirk also spoke at the event.
“Today, we’re gathered not only to celebrate Charlie’s birthday, but to honor a truth that he gave his entire life to defend, and that’s freedom. The very existence of the Presidential Medal of Freedom reminds us that the national interest of the United States has always been freedom,” she said.
“Our founders etched it into the preamble of our Constitution, and those words are not relics on parchment; they are a living covenant. The blessings of liberty are not man’s invention, they are God’s endowment. Charlie lived for those blessings, not as abstract words, but as sacred promises,” she added.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Letitia James’s Fugitive Family Member</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986113" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: New York Attorney General Letitia James may have sheltered a fugitive in her Virginia home for the past five years. 
James was charged with bank fraud last week for allegedly lying on mortgage papers to get a lower interest rate on a house in Virginia. While James owns the home, the current tenant is her grandniece, Nakia Thompson, and her three children, who have lived in the house since 2020. 
Thompson is officially listed as an “absconder” in the database of North Carolina’s Department of Adult Correction, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15187603/letitia-james-niece-virginia-home-fugitive.html">Daily Mail</a>. She’s wanted by authorities in Forsyth County for skipping out on her probation.
A spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Corrections said Thompson was “sentenced to probation for misdemeanor convictions for assault and battery and trespassing.” He confirmed that she is considered a fugitive from the state, but he added that because her crimes are considered low-level, she is “non-extraditable.”
Won’t stay silent: In opposition to the standard legal advice to keep quiet after being charged with a crime, James is loudly speaking out against the Department of Justice, claiming to be a victim of a political prosecution.
“We see powerful voices trying to silence truth and punish dissent and, yes, weaponize justice for political gain. We are witnessing the fraying of our democracy, the erosion of our system of government,” said James at a rally for New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani on Monday evening.
Limiting her ability to attract supporters to her cause, James is perceived widely on the right to be guilty of pushing the same kind of political prosecutions she is now denouncing. James campaigned for New York attorney general on a platform of investigating President Trump.
After winning her election, James eventually pursued Trump on a civil charge related to defrauding banks, though no banks claimed to have ever been defrauded by Trump. James won the case in a bench trial, and Trump was hit with a civil penalty of nearly half a billion dollars. That penalty was later thrown out by an appeals court in a major victory for the president.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">U.K.’s Labour Turns To Digital ID To Curb Illegal Immigration</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986111" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The U.K. recently approved a controversial new law that mandates a digital ID as a way to curb illegal immigration. Morning Wire spoke with Guy Dampier, senior researcher on nationhood at the Prosperity Institute, about the new law. (The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.)
Morning Wire: So, Guy, a lot of frustration boiling over in the U.K. right now over immigration, and now we have this heated debate over digital ID. Let’s start with Prime Minister Starmer – he’s defending his party’s immigration policies and accusing the conservative Reform party of pushing supposedly “racist” policies. Catch us up, what’s the story here?
Dampier: The issue is Reform’s policy on residency for immigrants. &#8220;Indefinite Leave to Remain&#8221; means that an immigrant can, after five years, get access to the same welfare benefits as a British citizen. The vast majority of people who get ILR will stay forever. That matters because in the last few years, there was an immigration wave of around 4 million people. Most of those were low-skilled and will be a drain on the taxpayer. One estimate said that it would cost around £80 billion, another said over £200 billion. Whatever the true figure is, it will be a huge cost at a time when the British economy is doing very badly. Reform have announced that they will abolish ILR, forcing those who have come to apply for new visas, which will include new checks on their qualifications and language skills. That also matters because the current rules are incredibly lax. The language test only requires that you have B1 English, which is enough to struggle through a book for small children, but nowhere near enough what you need just to read a newspaper. As most of these 4 million migrants come from Africa and the Indian subcontinent, Labour have branded it “racist.” 
Morning Wire: Now, the Labour Party has actually also admitted that this &#8220;Indefinite Leave to Remain&#8221; law needs to be reformed. What are they suggesting?
Dampier: This is why it is so incoherent. They were calling Nigel Farage racist. On Monday, they announced policies that were not a million miles away. The Home Secretary, Shababa Mahmood, has said that immigrants who want residency will now need better English skills, no criminal record, and evidence that they have volunteered in the community to show that they are integrating. The problem for Labour is that while they want to win over voters who are upset about immigration, they don’t really believe in reducing immigration. So they end up promising things they won’t deliver, and then when they get called out, they lash out. The problem for Britain is very simple: the country has become rapidly more foreign, with over 16% of people born overseas. Most of those came in the last few decades or even the last few years. This is changing the face of the country: around 38% of school children are now from an ethnic minority group. At the same time the economy has ground to a halt. And there is increasing evidence that migrants are overrepresented when it comes to accessing welfare and committing crime. So people are asking a simple question: if we want fewer immigrants, and if immigration isn’t good for the economy, then why are politicians refusing to seriously reduce the numbers?
Morning Wire: As we mentioned at the top, we also have this new digital ID that’s supposed to help crack down on illegal workers. But that has been very controversial. How would that work?
Dampier: This is the so-called Brit card. Labour have long been advocates for digital ID. In fact, the last Labour government, over a decade ago actually introduced ID cards. But they were immediately scrapped by the conservative government which followed them. Labour are now arguing that it would stop illegal immigrants from being able to work and rent. But there is already a digital Visa verification system which is supposed to do this. It just isn’t adhered to. There’s no reason to think that this would be any different. In fact, there are many European countries which already have ID cards and still have a major problem with illegal immigration. In Germany, for example, you are supposed to carry your ID card with you everywhere. But the country has one of the highest numbers of illegal immigrants in all of Europe. This won’t really fix the problem. What it will do is add on another layer of bureaucracy and further reduce the freedom of native British people. There is also another potential danger. Paul Mason, a well-known Labour activist who is close to the senior leadership of the party, suggested that digital ID could be used to help regularise the illegal immigrants who are already here. That is somewhere between 3/4 of 1 million and 2 million people. Instead of discouraging illegal immigration, it could end up being used to reward it.

MRN_251015_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Honors Kirk, Letitia James Accused Of Housing Fugitive, UK Advances Digital ID

Morning Brief: Trump Honors Charlie Kirk, Letitia James’ Crime Family, And UK Digital ID

Charlie Kirk

Keir Starmer

Media

Morning Wire

United Kingdom

Virginia

White House

Federal prosecutors reportedly indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday after a months-long investigation into potential mortgage fraud.
Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s former personal lawyer who the president installed as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia last month, presented the case for the indictment to the grand jury, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/justice-department-secures-indictment-of-new-york-attorney-general-letitia-james-0cc2ce4f?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAjz3_xVxqjqGd7DOAjeW9OF_fgoGbzqZNeWtCjLpTn-BtEnWes9wDcj_m33JUg%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68e822e1&amp;gaa_sig=8uhDExWB_EYX_l_bkm5ln2OOTBmY2wZMaB-DdqgJDjcxIxhcKe5QqAAS2ER6wvES1alU0eaHvP7KW_UXYdeMtA%3D%3D">The Wall Street Journal</a>. The Justice Department has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/payback-trump-admin-targets-new-york-ag-letitia-james-over-housing-fraud">investigated</a> James since May over a mortgage she took out in 2023.
The indictment against James accused her of bank fraud, according to WSJ.
In a statement on Thursday, James <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1976404730038391230">said</a> that the charges against her are a result of the “weaponization” of a justice system directed at her “all because I did my job as New York state attorney general.”
“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” said James.
To ascend to the office of state attorney general, James campaigned on investigating and prosecuting Trump. She won a civil penalty against the president of $450 million. In the case, James accused Trump of inflating his worth to defraud lenders, though no lenders had claimed that they were defrauded. An appeals court in August <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/appeals-court-throws-trumps-454-million-civil-fraud/story?id=124848691">tossed</a> the nearly-half billion dollar penalty dropped on Trump in James&#8217; civil suit.
The investigation into James stemmed from an April <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/1ffb28b3-31d0-4df6-9694-7e970c059050.pdf?itid=lk_inline_manual_9">referral</a> to the Department of Justice made by federal housing regulator Bill Pulte, who said James “falsified records” to get more favorable loan terms on a Virginia property.
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“Based on media reports, Ms. Letitia James has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms. This has potentially included 1) falsifying residence status for a Norfolk, Virginia-based home in order to secure a lower mortgage rate and 2) misrepresenting property descriptions to meet stringent requirements for government backed loans and government assistance,” said Pulte’s letter.
Trump appointed Halligan as interim U.S. attorney last month after <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115239044548033727">expressing</a> frustration over the pace of investigations into some of his top political and legal foes, including James and former FBI chief James Comey. Halligan brought charges against Comey last month of allegedly making a false statement and obstructing a congressional hearing.

Letitia James Indicted Following DOJ Probe Into 2023 Sweetheart Home Loan

Crime

Every time someone fires at President Trump in court and misses, it makes him stronger.
The turning point in the 2024 election wasn&#8217;t even the assassination attempt or even Joe Biden dropping out.
It was the Mar-a-Lago raid. That raid turned the entire election on its head, because people rightly believed that Trump was being politically persecuted.
On Thursday, there was another case of someone firing at Trump legally and missing.
You might recall a decision that came down last year from a New York court and a trial judge that found Trump was liable for fraud. Why? Because when he was getting loans, he had supposedly made statements about his properties and the value of his properties, and then he got loans based on the value of the properties.
None of those loans were in default. He ended up paying back all of those loans. No lenders complained about any of this.
But New York State Attorney General Letitia James decided she was going to target him. So she jerry-rigged an entire case that violated the actual essence of the law — because the law was not designed for any of this.
James had actually put out a tweet in February 2024 celebrating the amount Trump was fined: $464,576,230.62.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2265-member-exclusive?elementPosition=4&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/ny-appeals-court-throws-out-500-million-civil-fraud-judgment-against-trump-c556d887?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAguMmZjVZl0arP456l7GRMObgKK8fjnRl1FgKAaMZSg4XdNIVN6ckGrsP1q61I%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68a8cb47&amp;gaa_sig=ETQOYr5qhHGImG5q168H_WjgueZJuCsEXZ4qSbx65exAOqWJTG-CcWXTLUIgZKmmqjJpMqHND0VhTfBkJZBaXg%3D%3D">The Wall Street Journal</a>: 
<blockquote>A New York appeals court threw out a more than $500 million penalty against President <a href="https://www.wsj.com/topics/person/donald-trump">Trump</a> and his business empire, in a sharply splintered ruling that paves the way for further proceedings before the state’s highest court. 
The decision on Thursday from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/court-split-leaves-trumps-civil-fraud-appeal-stuck-in-slow-lane-8ca09956?mod=article_inline">a five-judge panel</a> of the New York Appellate Division’s First Department is a significant legal boost for Trump, freeing him, for now, from a massive penalty that caused him financial headaches last year. …
“While harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half billion-dollar award to the State,” Justice Peter Moulton wrote…</blockquote>
This was a bizarre award in the first place, given the fact that the supposed crime was not committed against the state of New York. It was a misread of the law. Judge David Friedman said that the law that originally enabled Letitia James to sue President Trump was designed to protect consumers and the public marketplace from deception and consumer transactions. It was not designed to protect lenders, who were not the ones who were damaged.
The court <a href="https://prod-i.a.dj.com/public/resources/documents/Appeal.pdf">wrote</a>:
<blockquote>A.G. James&#8217;s suit turns section 63(12) on its head, the leniency with which the courts have construed the requirements for pleading and proving fraud under that section, a leniency that has been extended for the purposes of facilitating the use of the provision to prevent the exploitation of unsophisticated consumers, investors and small business, is here being used by Attorney General Letitia James to apply section 63(12) to a scenario to which that provision has never before been applied or even thought to apply.</blockquote>
The court basically said, “You have got to be kidding me. $500 million fine? Are you kidding me?”
So Letitia James put out a <a href="https://x.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/1958567967148449838">statement</a>, saying:
<blockquote>The First Department today affirmed the well-supported finding of the trial court: Donald Trump, his company and two of his children are liable for fraud. 
The court upheld the injunctive relief we won, limiting Donald Trump and the Trump Organization officers’ ability to do business in New York. It should not be lost to history: yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law, and that our case has merit. 
We will seek appeal to the Court of Appeals and continue to protect the rights and interests of New Yorkers. </blockquote>
She claimed that the part of the decision saying that her filing wasn&#8217;t illegal was a vindication for her.
But if the thing that she was bragging about went away, namely, a $500 billion penalty, then she lost.
And that&#8217;s the point that President Trump was making on Truth Social, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115067582190707382">writing</a>:
<blockquote>TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case! I greatly respect the fact that the Court had the Courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful Decision that was hurting Business all throughout New York State. Others were afraid to do business there. The amount, including Interest and Penalties, was over $550 Million Dollars. It was a Political Witch Hunt, in a business sense, the likes of which no one has ever seen before. This was a Case of Election Interference by the City and State trying to show, illegally, that I did things that were wrong when, in fact, everything I did was absolutely CORRECT and, even, PERFECT. Every single Dollar was thrown out, even the penalties imposed on us by the Corrupt Judge, one of the most overturned in History, Arthur Engoron.
I wasn’t given a Jury and, during the course of the Trial, which lasted a long time, was not given one Ruling in my favor by this Political Hack, but worse than him, if that’s possible, was Letitia James, a Corrupt and Incompetent Attorney General who only brought this Case in order to hurt me politically. She is a Trump Deranged Lunatic! They made me bond the outrageous sum, which never happened before, and which cost me Millions of Dollars a month. It should have never been allowed to happen, and everyone knew it! Importantly, the Vote was 5 to 0. I am so honored by Justice David Friedman’s great words of wisdom, which should be read by everyone. I would also like to thank the Court for having the Courage to make this Decision, which is already going down as one of the worst business persecutions in the History of our Country. 
Sadly, there are other Cases against me that are equally disgraceful, including those headed up by Corrupt Judges, like Juan Merchan, whose daughter collected Millions of Dollars in Fees from Crooked Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, while her father shockingly REFUSED TO RECUSE himself from a vicious and corrupt trial, which is also under Appeal, one in which every Legal Pundit in New York said, “THERE WAS NO CASE!” — Even Editorial Boards said, “DO NOT DO THIS!” Judge Merchan gave me an unprecedented Gag Order, not letting me talk about him or his daughter, or the fact that the Appellate Judges thought he should not be doing the Case, but he did it anyway. Many Lawyers said that his daughter and him created the Greatest Conflict of Interest they had ever seen.</blockquote>
The bottom line: this was a big victory for Trump. Even CNN legal analyst Elie Hoenig, no ally of President Trump, said, “This is a huge win for Donald Trump, any way you cut it. And this is a stinging rebuke to the Attorney General Letitia James.”
That is correct.
And Trump just got stronger.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Still Winning: Court Kills $500M Anti-Trump Judgment

Ben Shapiro

Court

Lawsuit

Leftists

Opinion

A New York appeals court throws out the nearly half-billion-dollar penalty against Donald Trump in his civil fraud case, calling the fine &#8220;excessive&#8221; and unconstitutional. Texas leads a new push by red states to crack down on mail-order abortion pills, as Costco announces it will no longer stock mifepristone. The pace of deportations under President Trump surges to nearly 1,500 a day as the administration ramps up interior enforcement.
It’s Friday, August 22, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>Trump’s Excessive Civil Fraud Fine Overturned</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-963949" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: A New York appeals court on Thursday handed Donald Trump a stunning legal victory, tossing out the nearly half-billion-dollar penalty in the civil fraud case brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James. 
In a major reversal, the court ruled that the disgorgement order, which directed Trump to pay nearly $465 million, was an &#8220;excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.” While the court did not overturn the underlying ruling that found Trump liable for fraud, it stated that the &#8220;cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half billion-dollar award to the state&#8221; did not occur.
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President Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social, calling it a “TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case!” One of the judges, David Friedman, appeared to agree with that assessment, writing that James’ “ultimate goal was not ‘market hygiene’ … but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump’s political career and the destruction of his real estate business.” 
The ruling allows Trump’s legal team to appeal the fraud finding to New York’s highest court. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is conducting a separate investigation into whether James violated Trump’s civil rights and whether she committed mortgage fraud.
&nbsp;
<h2>Red States Escalate Fight Against Abortion Pills</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-963947" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: Republican-led states are escalating their efforts to restrict access to mail-order abortion pills, which now account for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. 
Texas is leading the charge on two fronts. Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued cease-and-desist letters demanding that national organizations stop illegally shipping abortion pills into the state. The Texas legislature is also considering a bill that would allow private citizens to sue out-of-state manufacturers and distributors of abortion pills for wrongful death or harm. In Tennessee, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R) is calling on the DOJ to investigate whether abortion pill manufacturers misrepresented the drugs’ safety risks to the FDA. 
The battle is also playing out in corporate America. Last week, Costco announced it will no longer stock mifepristone at its U.S. pharmacies, citing low member demand. Lila Rose of the pro-life group Live Action celebrated the decision as a &#8220;major victory,&#8221; saying, &#8220;Costco is where you go to buy in bulk, not to buy pills or death in a bottle.&#8221; Pro-life activists are now pressuring other major retailers like Walgreens and CVS to follow suit.
<h2>Trump Ramps Up Deportations, Nears ‘Deporter-in-Chief’ Pace</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-963951" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.22.25-Fri-SH3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The pace of deportations under President Trump has surged to nearly 1,500 per day, a level rivaling the Obama administration, as the White House continues to ramp up interior immigration enforcement. 
According to The New York Times, daily deportations have hit nearly 1,500 a day. Unlike under the Obama administration, when most deportations were of aliens arrested at the border, these numbers reflect people arrested in the interior of the country, as the border has been effectively closed for months. The number of aliens held in detention has now reached nearly 60,000, and new detention centers are being brought online with the help of GOP governors. 
Immigration enforcement in federally controlled Washington, D.C., has been particularly effective. The Wall Street Journal reported that nearly half of the 465 arrests made since the federal takeover have been of illegal aliens. 
The crackdown has been met with defiance in sanctuary cities. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu recently held a press conference vowing not to cooperate with federal demands for &#8220;mass deportations.&#8221; An acting ICE field office director in Boston responded on Fox News, saying of Wu’s leadership, &#8220;I know what a safe Boston looks like and this isn’t it.&#8221;

MRN 8.22.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Trump’s $500 Million Fine Tossed & President On Track To Be Deporter-In-Chief

Deportations

Illegal Immigration

Texas

New York Attorney General Letitia James staked her entire career on taking down President Donald Trump through highly controversial and unprecedented legal warfare — but now everything is falling apart.
James, who expressly campaigned on “leading the resistance&#8221; to &#8220;take on&#8221; the president, took another blow on Thursday, when an appeals court panel struck down the absurd penalty handed to Trump in a James-backed civil fraud case.
Trump quickly declared &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/total-victory-trump-triumphs-as-appeals-court-voids-excessive-civil-fraud-fine?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98TOTAL+VICTORY%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Triumphs+As+Appeals+Court+Voids+%E2%80%98Excessive%E2%80%99+Civil+Fraud+Fine">TOTAL VICTORY</a> in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case!”
The case, initiated by James, was eye-popping. Trump was being targeted for allegedly presenting higher property values to lenders, but, notably, there are zero victims in the president&#8217;s supposed crimes — all loans were paid back.
Additionally, the fines totaled more than half a billion dollars. The appeals panel found the penalty against Trump unconstitutional, a violation of the Eighth Amendment, and dismissed it in its entirety.
One panelist took aim at James specifically, saying the AG was seeking the “derailment of President Trump’s political career and the destruction of his real estate business.”
Indeed, James ran on trying to destroy Trump, a venture she&#8217;s so far failed.
While running for AG in 2017, James asked New Yorkers to vote for her since she would go after Trump. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been leading the resistance against Donald Trump in NYC and will only continue to do so in every way possible,&#8221; she posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;ve been leading the resistance against Donald Trump in NYC and will only continue to do so in every way possible <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYCVotes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYCVotes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NY1Politics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NY1Politics</a>
— Tish James (@TishJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/TishJames/status/920076346646237185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
&#8220;I’m running for attorney general because I will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president when our fundamental rights are at stake,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/politics/letitia-james-new-york-attorney-general">said</a> months later in 2018.
James followed up those comments by saying that her apparent hatred for Trump was fueling her campaign and her soul. &#8220;And what is fueling this campaign, what is fueling my soul right now, is Trump and his abuses, abuses against immigrants, against women, against our environment,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We need an attorney general who will stand up to Donald Trump.&#8221;
She also solicited donations by <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-doj-letitia-james-indictment-war.html">vowing</a> to “take on&#8221; the president, promising to sue Trump before he was re-elected.
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It didn&#8217;t stop there. James made racial comments about Trump, like referring to him as &#8220;too pale,&#8221; routinely called him an illegitimate president, a con-man, and hurling other insults.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
New York AG Letitia James is under criminal investigation by the DOJ for “Deprivation of Rights”
Letitia James says she never targeted Donald Trump. Here’s a collection of clips of her literally campaigning promising to “Get Trump” and using a megaphone to chant “Lock him up” <a href="https://t.co/0qtmGFlFPR">pic.twitter.com/0qtmGFlFPR</a>
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) <a href="https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/1953895364911878198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
Additionally, James made a big political show of her lawfare campaign against the president. She personally attended the trial — something extremely uncommon for an AG — and sat in the front row. Video cameras captured James posing, offering smirks, and at other times, glaring at Trump from her seat.
<div id="attachment_963659" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-963659" class="wp-image-963659 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1772670084-864x576.jpg" alt="New York Attorney General Letitia James sits in the courtroom during the civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump and his children at New York State Supreme Court on November 03, 2023 in New York City." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1772670084-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1772670084-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1772670084-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1772670084.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dave Sanders-Pool/Getty Images</div>
Not only is James&#8217; civil fraud case against Trump falling apart, the AG is now facing her own legal battles. Ironically, it was James who routinely stressed that “no one is above the law” while prosecuting Trump.
James is facing a federal criminal referral over suspected mortgage fraud. The referral, sent by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, accuses James of falsifying loan records to secure favorable terms on a Virginia property she claimed was her primary residence while she was still serving in New York. Ironically, additional allegations involve a Brooklyn property misrepresented to lenders. Pulte says James’ actions could also constitute wire and bank fraud, among other federal charges.
Additionally, the Department of Justice this month reportedly launched a federal grand jury investigation into James over her civil suit against Trump. The DOJ is seeking more information, apparently looking to find out if James may have deprived Trump and his adult children of their rights as part of the case, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/08/08/nx-s1-5496351/letitia-james-justice-department-subpoena-trump#:~:text=Two%20sources%20told%20NPR%20the,role%20in%20Trump's%20first%20impeachment.">according</a> to NPR. The DOJ is also investigating her office&#8217;s conduct in its corruption case against the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Last week, Ed Martin, who serves as director of the DOJ&#8217;s Weaponization Working Group, called on James to resign from her post.
&#8220;Her resignation from office would give the people of New York and America more peace than proceeding. I would take this as an act of good faith,&#8221; Martin <a href="https://cbs4local.com/news/nation-world/ny-attorney-general-letitia-james-faces-calls-to-resign-in-act-of-good-faith-during-mortgage-fraud-inquiry-weaponization-working-group-ed-martin-abbe-lowell-lawyer-federal-housing-agency-director-bill-pulte-pam-bondi-fannie-mae-freddie-mac">said</a>.
James has armed herself with Attorney Abbe Lowell, who represented Hunter Biden, to face the investigations. Responding to Martin, Lowell — in what was truly a full-circle moment — charged that the Trump administration was weaponizing the government against his client.
&#8220;[D]espite the lack of evidence or law, you will take whatever actions you have been directed to take to make good on President Trump&#8217;s and Attorney General Bondi&#8217;s calls for revenge for that reason alone,&#8221; he said.
President Trump won the 2024 presidential election, despite James&#8217; best efforts. And he&#8217;s currently winning in the courts, working to shed James&#8217; attempt to destroy him personally.
Meanwhile, James has her hands full feeling what it&#8217;s like to not be &#8220;above the law.&#8221;

Letitia James Went All-In To ‘Get Trump’ — Now It’s All Falling Apart

A New York appeals court on Thursday overturned the massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump, ruling the nearly half-billion-dollar fine was &#8216;excessive&#8217; under the Eighth Amendment.
The five-judge appeals court panel ruled that the $355 million penalty against Trump — not including interest — &#8220;is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-appeal-db39d93feff322eeeeedbc1ff75ccaf3">reported</a>. The total fine levied by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron against Trump and other executives in the Trump Organization, including Eric and Donald Trump Jr., exceeded $527 million when interest was factored in.
The civil fraud case against Trump was brought by New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, who alleged that Trump inflated his net worth to gain favorable terms from lenders. Judge Engoron sided with James, finding that between 2014 and 2021, the president overvalued his assets by up to $2.2 billion, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/21/trump-fraud-new-york-appeals.html">reported</a>. The judge ordered Trump to pay the massive fine, while also barring him from running his business in New York for three years.
While the appeals court threw out the massive fine, it kept the ruling in place that Trump committed fraud, leaving open the option for an appeal to the state&#8217;s highest court. The judges also kept the other penalties on Trump&#8217;s company in place, but said that the president can seek a further extension of the pause on those penalties.
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&#8220;TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115067582190707382">posted</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;I greatly respect the fact that the Court had the Courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful Decision that was hurting Business all throughout New York State. Others were afraid to do business there. The amount, including Interest and Penalties, was over $550 Million Dollars. It was a Political Witch Hunt, in a business sense, the likes of which no one has ever seen before. This was a Case of Election Interference by the City and State trying to show, illegally, that I did things that were wrong when, in fact, everything I did was absolutely CORRECT and, even, PERFECT.&#8221;
Judge David Friedman ripped James for bringing the lawsuit, writing, “Plainly, her ultimate goal was not ‘market hygiene’ &#8230; but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump’s political career and the destruction of his real estate business. The voters have obviously rendered a verdict on his political career. This bench today unanimously derails the effort to destroy his business.”
Appellate Division Judge Peter Moulton said in a concurring opinion that &#8220;the calculation of the disgorgement in this case was far from a reasonable approximation.&#8221; The panel, however, was divided in its ruling, issuing more than 300 pages of concurring and dissenting opinions, according to the AP. While most of the judges agreed that the penalty was excessive, there was disagreement over whether the attorney general&#8217;s lawsuit against Trump was justified. Two judges said it was, but another judge argued that James exceeded her authority, adding that a lawsuit should have been filed by one of Trump&#8217;s lenders if they felt cheated, but no lenders took legal action against Trump.
The Democratic attorney general filed the suit against Trump after vowing on the campaign trail to &#8220;take on&#8221; the then-Republican presidential frontrunner. In one campaign video, James <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/21/james-lawsuit-trump-longstanding-battle-00058128">blasted</a> Trump as &#8220;incompetent&#8221; and &#8220;an embarrassment to all that we stand for.&#8221; Trump maintained his innocence and fought back against the charges throughout the case, calling the suit a politically motivated &#8220;Witch Hunt.&#8221;
Trump appealed the civil fraud judgment in February 2024, with his attorney Alina Habba saying, &#8220;Letitia James is not going to get away with it; the Biden administration is not going to get away with it.”
“President Trump has done nothing wrong,&#8221; Habba added at the time. &#8220;All he has done is win a campaign, and that is scaring them because they know when he goes back in November 2024 he is going to clean house, and that is truly the problem.&#8221;
In his lengthy post on Truth Social following the court&#8217;s decision on Thursday, Trump added that James &#8220;only brought this Case in order to hurt me politically.&#8221;
&#8220;She is a Trump Deranged Lunatic! They made me bond the outrageous sum, which never happened before, and which cost me Millions of Dollars a month. It should have never been allowed to happen, and everyone knew it!&#8221;

‘TOTAL VICTORY’: Trump Triumphs As Appeals Court Voids ‘Excessive’ Civil Fraud Fine

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