Trump Rips Into NY Gov Cuomo for Targeted Investigations, Using AG as Personal 'Bludgeoning Tool'
Donald Trump may be as quintessentially New York as they come, but he’s on a political collision course with two of the most powerful officials in that state: The governor and attorney general.
In a series of tweets posted on Monday, the president blasted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for what he called a “bludgeoning tool” being used against him.
Trump accused Cuomo of harassing his businesses and organizations in the Empire State, with Democratic Attorney General Letitia James at the center of the controversy.
“It is very hard and expensive to live in New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo uses his Attorney General as a bludgeoning tool for his own purposes,” Trump tweeted. “They sue on everything, always in search of a crime.”
The president mentioned a past example where one of his foundations was sued, before criticizing Cuomo and the attorney general for not digging into the Bill and Hillary-run Clinton Foundation, which is based in New York.
“Now Cuomo’s A.G. is harassing all of my New York businesses in search of anything at all they can find to make me look as bad as possible,” Trump alleged. “No wonder people and businesses are fleeing New York in record numbers!”
It is very hard and expensive to live in New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo uses his Attorney General as a bludgeoning tool for his own purposes. They sue on everything, always in search of a crime. I even got sued on a Foundation which took Zero rent & expenses & gave away…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2019
….more money than it had. Going on for years, originally brought by Crooked Hillary’s Campaign Chair, A.G. Eric Schneiderman, until forced to resign for abuse against women. They never even looked at the disgusting Clinton Foundation. Now Cuomo’s A.G. is harassing all of my….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2019
….New York businesses in search of anything at all they can find to make me look as bad as possible. So, on top of ridiculously high taxes, my children and companies are spending a fortune on lawyers. No wonder people and businesses are fleeing New York in record numbers!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2019
Those tweets referred to the fact that Letitia James, who took office at the beginning of the year, made going after Trump’s investments in New York a key part of her run.
“James campaigned on promises to investigate the President and his business dealings,” CNN reported. “James’ office will also continue a lawsuit brought by her predecessor against the president’s charity, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, as well as the president himself and three of his adult children Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric.”
Indeed, James seemed particularly obsessed with going after Trump in a campaign video where she called him an “illegitimate president” who should be charged with obstructing justice and then be removed from office.
“It’s important that everyone understand that the days of Donald Trump are coming to an end,” she declared, according to CNN.
That statement, and others like it, sure seem to back Trump’s point about the New York attorney general investigating a person in search of a crime, instead of impartially following real evidence. It’s nearly impossible to pretend that James isn’t biased after her anti-Trump rants.
And that should alarm anyone who values the rule of law and the presumption of innocence, no matter their political party.
One of the core principles of our justice system is that an individual cannot be perpetually harassed and investigated just because an official doesn’t like them. “Round up the usual suspects” should remain a movie line, not a legal precedent.
“The choice is hers, but [Attorney General James] ought to fully and deeply appreciate that injudicious comments undermine her office and her cases — legally and factually — and will call into question, in the public eye, the credibility of her work,” legal expert and former FBI official Chuck Rosenberg noted earlier this year.
Whether you call it “Trump Derangement Syndrome” or just target fixation, this does seem to be yet another leftist missing the forest for the trees in their zeal to attack the president.
It will be interesting to see if the latest crusade from Democrats in New York gains any traction, or just spins its wheels as the 2020 election looms. So far, overconfident figures who try to take down Trump haven’t fared so well, and James’ past comments do not bode well for her chances.
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