President Donald Trump’s legal team is seeking answers in the ongoing civil suit that once threatened him with a $464 million penalty. On Thursday, his representation filed a letter with the New York Supreme Court, accusing Attorney General Letitia James of failing to comply with a court order. This order required her to provide details about the preservation practices and efforts related to the case.
Trump’s attorneys argue that the case, under reconsideration, contains numerous errors. They suspect that James may hold crucial evidence not yet disclosed, particularly communications with Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney.
DELETED EMAIL DETAILS ALLEGED TRUMP-TARGETING PUSH INSIDE LETITIA JAMES’ OFFICE: ‘FIND AND PURSUE CRIMES’
Michael Cohen played a significant role as a witness in the civil suit. He testified about Trump’s alleged misrepresentation of property values, asserting that Trump set target net-worth figures for him to achieve.
Despite the court’s decision to deny further discovery, requiring parties to disclose case-relevant information, James must explain her office’s information preservation process. Trump’s legal team insists she has not fulfilled this requirement.
The attorneys criticize the New York Attorney General’s Office for avoiding explicit confirmation on whether requested materials exist or are preserved. Instead, they claim James has offered only general assurances of her standard litigation hold procedures implemented during the investigation phase.
This development continues the legal battle initiated by James against Trump in 2022. She accused him of fraudulently inflating property values. Trump was initially ordered to pay $355 million plus interest, and he faced restrictions on financial dealings in New York. These penalties were later vacated by an appeals court, but James seeks their reinstatement.
Trump argues the case is flawed. His lawyers identified five disqualifying weaknesses, asserting James lacked authority since the case involves private transactions. They claim Trump’s valuations involved subjective estimates independently assessed by lenders, not fraudulent misrepresentations.
The appeal highlights that sophisticated banks and insurers involved never reported harm and profited over $100 million from the transactions. Trump’s team also argues that the prosecution’s basis of overvaluation mistakenly assumes real estate holds one objective value.
Trump’s legal team views the attempted $450 million disgorgement as excessive and unconstitutional. The appeal further questions the political motivation behind the case.
James’ office maintains compliance with disclosure requirements. In response to queries, it asserted full satisfaction of court orders to identify applicable preservation practices.
Leo Briceno reports on politics for Fox News Digital, previously a reporter for World Magazine.
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