New York Governor Kathy Hochul heaped praise Attorney General Letitia James – citing her ‘passion and heart’ for battling ex-President Donald Trump – but failed to mention James’ probe into Andrew Cuomo that landed Hochul the governorship.
Hochul, who made the comments during the 2022 New York State Democratic Convention, named several Democratic leaders in the Empire State, while singling out AG James for her ongoing fight against Trump.
‘And talk about passion and heart, our Attorney General Letitia James. What a tireless fighter she is. She is amazing. We are so blessed to have her.’
‘Not just here in New York but as a national leader in fighting for justice, and fighting against Donald Trump-ism every place it rears its ugly head, she has been out there for us and I’m so proud of her.’
Hochul was referring to James’ ongoing probe into alleged financial mismanagement at the Trump Organization. This week, the AG was permitted to force Donald Trump, Ivanka and Don Jr to testify for her probe into claims the family firm inflated the value of its assets to obtain more favorable loan terms. They deny wrongdoing.
But the governor made zero mention of James’ vital role in landing her the top political job in New York State, thanks to the AG’s probe into claims former Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women.
That led to Cuomo resigning in August 2021, with former Lt Governor Hochul taking over the role.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during the 2022 New York State Democratic Convention
Attorney General Letitia James, pictured, who received praised from Hochul for her work against Donald Trump
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at New York’s Yankee Stadium, July 26, 2021
Cuomo resigned from office in August after investigators working for James authored a report concluding he had sexually harassed 11 women, making way for Hochul to claim the state’s highest office.
James eventually announced her own campaign for governor after ousting Cuomo, but ended up dropping out of the race in late December.
Cuomo has denied James’ claims of sexual impropriety, and long maintained her campaign against him was done with one eye on enhancing her own prospects for a gubernatorial run.
Hochul would likely have been less forthcoming with praise had James not dropped out of the governor’s race, with that election scheduled for November 8 this year.
She went on to tell the crowd that the GOP’s biggest nightmare was a ‘united Democrat party’ and urged warring progressive and liberal factions to make peace ahead of the November midterms.
Hochul added: ‘A united Democratic Party, that’s what they’re worried about. Even on issues we don’t agree, come election time, we cannot allow ourselves to be divided, and never lose sight of the fact that as New York Democrats, we know we need to go,’ Hochul responded to her own question, to the crowd’s delight.’
Hochul’s remarks come just days after a judge ruled that Trump, Donald Trump Jr, and Ivanka Trump must testify in AG James’ investigation into Trump’s businesses.
Meanwhile, that same judge, Arthur Engoron, delivered a withering put down to Donald Trump’s lawyer’s claim that the former president was being unfairly targeted by James on Thursday, saying she had every right to go after him if ‘he’s just a bad guy.’
New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron dismissed arguments made by former President Donald Trump’s lawyer that he was being unfairly discriminated against
At the end of the Thursday hearing Engoron ruled that former President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump all must provide depositions in a civil fraud case
At the end of the hearing, New York Supreme Court Judge Engoron ordered Trump and two of his adult children to testify as part of a probe into the family’s business dealings.
But his language, delivered during a testy back and forth, will be seized on by Trump supporters as evidence that the investigation is a ‘witch hunt.’
Critics lauded the judge for telling truth.
Trump’s attorney Alina Habba argued that the former president was the victim of discrimination.
James has ‘such disdain for this person because he was president, because he is Donald Trump and he could probably win again in ’24,’ she said, according to Newsweek.
She had previously opened the door to the line of attack with some of her past statements about Trump during her own campaigns, calling him an ‘illegitimate president’ and said ‘we need to find out where he is laundering his money,’ statements the Trump team has used to accuse her of misconduct.
