Trump admin fires back over ‘lawfare’ after Letitia James staffer claims he was pushed to target prez
The White House on Tuesday fired back at New York Attorney General Letitia James, slamming the lefty pol amid reports that her office sought to dig up dirt on President Trump and his pals.
The sharp rebuke comes after a veteran prosecutor in the AG’s office was put on administrative leave for allegedly sending an email blast claiming his bureau chief instructed him “to find and pursue crimes” committed by Trump allies.
“This is more proof of the weaponization of the justice system by Letitia James to target President Trump and her political opponents,” White House rep Lauren Bis said in a statement. “The far-left Democrats’ lawfare against President Trump, his family, and allies must stop.”
Former Brooklyn prosecutor Daniel Wiesenfeld sparked the controversy when an email he allegedly sent to some 2,000 colleagues was leaked to the Times-Union newspaper.
Wiesenfeld claimed that his boss in the AG’s Investor Protection Bureau, Shamiso Maswoswe, had told him to target people and organizations linked to Trump.
“If you believe Trump is using the [Department of Justice] attorneys to prosecute his enemies and further his political interests, you should find it equally troubling that Tish [James] is doing exactly the same thing,” the email allegedly said.
Wiesenfeld has not spoken publicly since the story broke.
The Post reported Monday that Maswoswe, a former DOJ attorney during Trump’s first term, was fired in December 2017 and later sued the administration claiming sex, race and parent discrimination, reaching a $795,000 settlement in 2023.
In a statement this week, the AG’s office called the scandal a personnel matter.
“The office of the attorney general is committed to upholding New York’s laws and protecting the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers, regardless of political beliefs,” the statement said.
Trump and James have been bitter rivals for years.