A veteran prosecutor in state Lawyer Common Letitia James’ workplace claims he was ordered to dig up grime on folks and teams “affiliated with Donald Trump,” in response to a bombshell report.
Daniel Wiesenfeld, a former Brooklyn prosecutor who now works in James’ Investor Safety Bureau, mentioned his boss instructed him “to search out and pursue crimes” dedicated by Trump allies, in response to a since-deleted e-mail obtained by the Occasions-Union.
Wiesenfeld alleged in his e-mail that Bureau Chief Shamiso Maswoswe particularly directed him to focus on “Trump himself, Fact Social, Hewlett Packard (DOJ accepted merger)… with out having a reputable purpose for concentrating on the organizations and people,” the outlet reported.
The feds lately accepted a $14 billion merger between Hewlett-Packard and Juniper Networks.
“For those who imagine Trump is utilizing the [Department of Justice] attorneys to prosecute his enemies and additional his political pursuits, you need to discover it equally troubling that Tish [James] is doing precisely the identical factor,” Wiesenfeld allegedly wrote within the message, which went to some 2,000 staffers earlier than being yanked.
“I ask you that you simply not function Tish’s private attorneys by concentrating on her political enemies,” he allegedly wrote. “As a substitute, I hope you select to prosecute crimes and discover the people accountable, fairly than concentrating on people after which discovering crimes.”
Weisenfeld requested that colleagues deal with prosecuting “rampant nonprofit homeless shelter fraud and antisemitic crimes in and round synagogues,” and accused James of losing “important public taxpayer {dollars} to focus on handy public enemies,” Occasions-Union reported.
Trump and James are bitter, long-standing adversaries.
Throughout her 2018 marketing campaign, James vowed to “prosecute the president for crimes dedicated in New York state” if she was elected — and stored her phrase after taking up the workplace.
In 2024, the AG’s workplace gained a $360 million civil case in opposition to Trump, his sons and his former firm for overstating Huge Apple property values and mendacity about his wealth — a case later upheld on enchantment however with out the large monetary payout.
Trump has cited the case as only one instance of James’ makes an attempt to focus on him unfairly.
In the meantime, Weisenfeld was positioned on paid administrative go away, with a rep for James calling the controversy “a private matter” in a press release to Occasions-Union.
“The workplace of the lawyer basic is dedicated to upholding New York’s legal guidelines and defending the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers, no matter political opinions,” the assertion mentioned. “We strongly reject any assertion on the contrary.”
Nonetheless, state GOP leaders slammed James over the leaked e-mail’s claims.
“Letitia James weaponized the lawyer basic’s workplace right into a political hit squad after which tried to cowl up her tracks,” state Republican Chairman Ed Cox informed The Submit on Sunday. “She is totally unfit to serve.
“New Yorkers deserve an lawyer basic who prosecutes criminals, preserves public information and enforces the legislation with out concern or favor,” Cox added.
