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Trump sues New York Attorney General Letitia James

FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. The Trump Organization is going on trial accused of helping some top executives avoid income taxes on compensation they got in addition to their salaries, like rent-free apartments and luxury cars. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit in Florida Circuit Court against New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The lawsuit accuses James of repeatedly abusing her position as attorney general to “pursue a relentless, pernicious, public, and unapologetic crusade” against Trump. He claims James is violating his rights to privacy and property and violating his rights as a grantor and beneficiary of the Donald J. Trump revocable trust.


The suit asks a judge to put an end to James’ multiple investigations into Trump and his businesses, which the former president argues are politically motivated. Trump believes that if he had not been elected the former president, he would not be facing “longstanding animosity” from James.

In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Trump lashed out at the attorney general and pointed to her approach to fighting crime in New York.

“While James does nothing to protect New York against these violent crimes and criminals, she attacks great and upstanding businesses which have done nothing wrong, like the very successful, job and tax producing Trump Organization that I have painstakingly built over a long period of years. Crooked and highly partisan James now thinks it is the business of the State of New York to go after my revocable trust and pry into my private estate plan, only to look for ways to recklessly injure me, my family, my businesses, and my tens of millions of supporters,” Trump said.

Letitia James (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Trump’s lawsuit comes after James has filed a civil lawsuit against him. Her lawsuit alleges that Trump and the Trump Organization inflated his net worth by billions of dollars and misled banks and others for years about the value of his assets.

“Multiple judges have dismissed Donald Trump’s baseless attempts to evade justice, and no number of lawsuits will deter us from pursuing this fraud. We sued Donald Trump because he committed extensive financial fraud. That fact hasn’t changed, and neither will our resolve to ensure that no matter how powerful or political one might be, no one is above the law,” the New York attorney general’s office said.

James is seeking $250 million and a permanent ban on Trump doing business in New York.

The lawsuit from James is one of three active cases involving Trump or the Trump Organization in New York courts.

The Trump Organization’s criminal tax fraud trial could last into December, but Trump is not a defendant. There is also a civil lawsuit brought by protesters who claim they were roughed up by Trump’s security guards.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.