Trump Docs Probe: Court Lifts Hold on Mar-a-Lago Records

Trump Docs Probe: Court Lifts Hold on Mar-a-Lago Records aerial view of mar-a-lago (Getty Images)

ERIC TUCKER Wednesday, 21 September 2022 07:45 PM EDT

A federal appeals panel has lifted a judge's hold on the Justice Department's ability to use classified records seized from former President Donald Trump's Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation.

The ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit is a victory for the Justice Department.

The decisiion clears the way for it to immediately resume its use of the documents as it evaluates whether to bring criminal charges in its investigation into the presence of top-secret government records held at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.

Original Article

Trump Docs Probe: Court Lifts Hold on Mar-a-Lago Records

Trump Docs Probe: Court Lifts Hold on Mar-a-Lago Records Trump Docs Probe: Court Lifts Hold on Mar-a-Lago Records (Getty)

ERIC TUCKER Wednesday, 21 September 2022 07:45 PM EDT

A federal appeals panel has lifted a judge's hold on the Justice Department's ability to use classified records seized from former President Donald Trump's Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation.

The ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit is a victory for the Justice Department.

The decisiion clears the way for it to immediately resume its use of the documents as it evaluates whether to bring criminal charges in its investigation into the presence of top-secret government records held at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.

Original Article

Dick Morris to Newsmax: Dems Losing ‘Hope’ of Stopping Trump Run

Dick Morris to Newsmax: Dems Losing 'Hope' of Stopping Trump Run

(Newsmax/"The Chris Salcedo Show")

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 06:35 PM EDT

Dick Morris, political activist, author and adviser to former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, loosely prognosticated the New York attorney general office's $250 million lawsuit against Trump in his new book, "The Return: Trump's Big 2024 Comeback."

Note: Get Dick Morris' new book "The Return" on Trump's secret plan for 2024. See It Here!

While speaking on Newsmax Wednesday night as a guest on "The Chris Salcedo Show," Morris relayed how the book references the Democratic Party's four-step plan of "hope" for precluding Trump from winning the presidency again in 2024:

  • Hope Trump opts not to run for the White House altogether.
  • Hope that another Republican, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, usurps Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries.
  • Hope that Republican voters eventually turn on Trump regarding his endorsement selections for the 2022 midterm elections.
  • Hope that legal entanglements prohibit Trump from getting American conservatives and independents on his side.

"Now, [the Democrats] only have this [final] move left," said Morris, while adding that New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit represents "persecution by prosecution, and it has all to do with Trump's success."

At that point in the interview, Morris ran down the litany of previous "Get Trump" ventures among the Democrats, incidents that were designed to either put the former president in jail or sour his popularity levels with the American public.

But none of the prior schemes or allegations have stuck, Morris said, and "none of [the New York lawsuit] is going to matter," relative to the 2024 presidential race.

In fact, James' allegation of the Trump Organization "manipulating" real-estate values elicited a chuckle from Morris, who said, "It's New York. Property values can quadruple in an hour … or drop 90% in a day."

Regarding the upcoming midterms on Nov. 8, Morris said Trump's endorsement picks such as Senate candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz of Pennsylvania, J.D. Vance of Ohio, Blake Masters of Arizona, Adam Laxalt of Nevada and Herschel Walker of Georgia are all faring well with their respective races, even if certain select polls are more consumed with influencing public opinion than painting an accurate electoral picture.

As one example, Morris explained that Georgia GOP challenger Walker had been leading in various polls, but now one survey suddenly has Walker trailing incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., by six percentage points.

"When you look at [that particular] poll, there are six points more of Democrats than Republicans in the sample. So of course, they're going to come up with that result," said Morris, who hosts "Dick Morris Democracy" on Newsmax.

From Morris' perspective, left-leaning polls are trying to create the narrative of the Senate "slipping away" for Republicans.

"And that's entirely manufactured by these polls. It's not an error. It's a deliberate attempt to discourage Republicans from raising more money" before the midterms, added Morris.

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Rep. Carter to Newsmax: Republicans Just Want Transparency from FCC on Conservative Deplatforming

Rep. Carter to Newsmax: Republicans Just Want Transparency from FCC on Conservative Deplatforming Rep. Carter to Newsmax: Republicans Just Want Transparency from FCC on Conservative Deplatforming (Newsmax/"The Chris Salcedo Show")

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 05:46 PM EDT

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., says he prepared a resolution seeking documents from the Biden administration on deplatforming cable networks because Republicans want transparency.

"What we're trying to do, of course, is to have transparency," Carter said Wednesday during an appearance on Newsmax TV's "Chris Salcedo Show."

"What's wrong with transparency, particularly at the FCC? I mean, if we're trying to fight political corruption here and we want to make sure there's not political censorship and simply by doing that we just asking for transparency at the FCC and asking for freedom of speech I don't think there's any reason why we shouldn't see that.

"What we've seen across the country is the suppression of conservative voices, of conservative channels, and we want to make sure that there are no documents out there that the FCC might be trying to hide."

Carter also slammed Democratic lawmakers' response to immigrants sent to sanctuary cities by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and New York Attorney General Letitia James' announcement of a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, his companies, and his children.

"What we see here is nothing more than the liberal media falling victim to political stunts," Carter said.

"(James) has got a failed campaign and she's just trying to divert attention from the violent crime in New York City to try and look at the Trump family and this is nothing more than a ploy by her. And what Gov. Abbott has done, what Gov. DeSantis has done, I applaud them for that because they have brought attention to the problem here," said Carter.

On the federal reserve's hiking of interest rates by 75 basis points Wednesday, Carter said the U.S. needs to stop spending money.

Republicans, he said, "are not going to stand by. We're going to cut this spending. We're going to make sure we are not adding fuel to the fire. This inflation acceleration act that was just passed by the Democrats in a partisan vote – that's the worst thing that could be done right now. We need to stop the spending. We need to make sure we're doing no harm."

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Harvard-Harris Poll: Voters Say Trump Outperformed Biden on Key Issues

Harvard-Harris Poll: Voters Say Trump Outperformed Biden on Key Issues (Newsmax)

By Luca Cacciatore | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 04:36 PM EDT

Most registered voters are still saying that former President Donald Trump performed better than President Joe Biden on a slate of critical issues, according to a new Harvard-Harris poll.

The first is Biden's overall job approval rating. His disapproval currently stands at 55%, with only 41% of respondents approving of his performance.

Meanwhile, an average of polls by FiveThirtyEight showed that, at the same time last year, Trump's approval stood 2 points higher and his disapproval 2 points lower.

Further data compiled by Breitbart showed that Trump held a 56% approval rating on the economy in January, 2021, while Biden's rating in September of this year currently stands at 37%.

Trump also saw higher approvals on immigration, fighting terrorism, foreign affairs, and administering the government — besting Biden by nearly 10 points or more in every category.

Inflation and crime, the top two categories registered voters cared about, were two of Biden's worst-performing categories. He scored a low 36% and 38% approval on both issues, respectively.

Amy Walter described voters' growing resentment toward Biden in an analysis published in June this year on the Cook Political Report.

"Biden … started with a more consolidated base than Trump, but has seen that support wane over the last year," she wrote. "For example, in June of 2021, 95 percent of Democrats approved of the job Biden was doing in office. By May of 2022, that approval rating had dropped down to 82 percent."

The Harvard-Harris survey of 1,885 registered voters was taken from Sept. 7 to Sept. 8.

Original Article

PayPal Cancellation of UK Entity Could Be Test Run for US Conservative Groups

PayPal Cancellation of UK Entity Could Be Test Run for US Conservative Groups PayPal Cancellation of UK Entity Could Be Test Run for US Conservative Groups A sign in front of PayPal headquarters in San Jose, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 04:32 PM EDT

PayPal's recent decision to cancel the account of the United Kingdom's Free Speech Union, an organization which fights for freedom-of-speech rights in Britain, could soon become the boilerplate rationale for canceling conservative voices and corporations in the United States.

One example from this week: PayPal and its subsidiary Venmo reportedly removed the accounts of conservative-leaning groups that allegedly have been critical of gay and transgender rights activists, including Gays Against Groomers.

Also, back in February, Minnesota Bank & Trust terminated its business relationship with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell — a noted conservative celebrity, with close ties to former President Donald Trump — after the financial institution reportedly characterized Lindell as a "reputation risk."

At the time, Lindell told Business Insider he had nine accounts with the bank and none were related to his main MyPillow business.

Lindell also noted that one account at MB&T was connected to his website Frank Speech and another was linked to the Lindell Recovery Network, a personalized platform for helping people overcome addiction issues.

Earlier this week, the Free Speech Union was reportedly told it had violated PayPal's "acceptable use policy."

However, when providing a statement to The Telegraph, a PayPal spokesperson reasoned the company was walking a line between "protecting the ideals of tolerance, diversity, and respect for people of all backgrounds and upholding the values of free expression and open dialogue."

Some could interpret PayPal's statement as censorship and/or punishment — in the form of demonetization — for companies that harbor opposing political viewpoints, compared to left-leaning governments.

GETTR serves as the alt-tech social media platform and microblogging site geared toward American conservatives. It also claims to be the world's fastest-growing free speech media platform — with 6 million users in 192 different countries, and more than 200 million livestream events.

Company CEO Jason Miller, the former senior adviser to the Trump White House, released a statement regarding PayPal's cancel-culture actions with the Free Speech Union.

"Those who decry cancel culture as a myth are clearly not paying attention. This is just the latest example of Big Tech's political overreach and shows why truly tolerant, free speech platforms like GETTR are so vital in defending free expression. We support the Free Speech Union in their new campaign lobbying for regulations to prevent companies like PayPal demonetising organizations and individuals."

According to a company item, GETTR will soon announce features that enable users and organizations, such as Free Speech Union, to monetize its services without the threat of political censorship or unfair bans.

Original Article

N.Y. Case Proves Left Fears Trump Like Nothing Else

N.Y. Case Proves Left Fears Trump Like Nothing Else new york state attorney general letitia james

NY Atty. Gen. Letitia James speaks – Sept. 21, 2022 – in New York, New York. Her office is suing former President Donald J. Trump and his children accusing them of fraudulent statements of finances. The lawsuit seeks to remove Trump and his children from their roles at their organizations and ban them from future leadership roles in NY, and repay $250 million. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Dick Morris By Dick Morris Wednesday, 21 September 2022 06:47 PM EDT Current | Bio | Archive

We are about to find out if Donald Trump ever littered or jaywalked in his entire life.

He is under scrutiny for everything else with prosecutors throughout the country — all motivated by partisanship — filing all manner of lawsuits and criminal investigations against him.

Could this have anything to do with his imminent announcement of his candidacy for reelection in 2024?

Or with his dominance in the Republican party primaries this year?

Or with his lead over Biden in several national polls?

If you answered "Yes" to each, you’re on the right track.

In my book "The Return" I predicted Trump would continue to rise in the polls and present an immense problem for Biden and the Democrats.

I also warned the Democrats were preparing major legal hits against Trump.

The Mar-a-Lago raid was one.

Now the latest attack on Trump is the new civil lawsuit against him and his family by the opportunistic New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The charge against him is that he over estimated the value of his properties as he sought loans from banks.

The Letitia James lawsuit is particularly pernicious and vicious in that it goes after Trump's children and family.

Consider that Hunter Biden is walking around free, unmolested, and actually still doing business deals — as the Trump children face being dragged into court to testify, under oath, about the arcane details of their financial lives.

Obviously, Democratic prosecutors are trying to win in court what they think they can’t do at the ballot box come 2024.

Like so many army divisions marching in lockstep under a central command, these prosecutors are deploying every resource to try to stop Donald Trump.

The height of his "persecution by prosecution" is the huge national crisis being fomented by the FBI because they claim he did not — in effect —return his library books on time.

Were there the slightest evidence or even accusation that Trump betrayed national secrets or compromised national security in his handling of the archive documents, these allegations could be taken seriously.

But by simply asking what was in the documents he failed to return to the archives we are compelled to ask: "Who gives a damn?"

In four years as president and two years as former president there has never been one shred of evidence that Trump played fast and loose with our national secrets.

There's no reason to assume that he did so now.

But none of these pinprick lawsuits and investigations will inhibit Trump from announcing for president.

And as I explain in "The Return," nor will they impede his chances any more than did all the previous charges, from Stormy Daniels to Michael Cohen to the Trump University students.

In the Archive scandal, the FBI is in more immediate danger than is Trump due to the revelation that the Bureau paid Igor Danchenko as an informant.

And we know Danchenko concocted all manner of tall tales to frame Donald Trump in the phony Russia collusion scandal.

A newly elected Republican Congress will likely blow the Bureau sky high as it investigates the Danchenko scandal.

For the rest of the garbage charges, Trump will be overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from an outraged public.

Trump will counterpunch against his enemies. "The Return" lays out the plan.

Dick Morris is a former presidential adviser and political strategist. He is a regular contributor to Newsmax TV. Read Dick Morris' ReportsMore Here.

Original Article

Dick Morris to Newsmax: Lawsuit ‘Persecution by Prosecution’

Dick Morris to Newsmax: Lawsuit 'Persecution by Prosecution'

(Newsmax/"American Agenda")

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 03:59 PM EDT

The civil lawsuit in New York announced Wednesday by state Attorney General Letitia James against former President Donald Trump, three of his adult children and the Trump Organization on claims that they manipulated the value of assets and property is "obviously related" to the impending announcement of his 2024 presidential campaign, political analyst Dick Morris said on Newsmax.

"This amounts to persecution by prosecution," Morris commented to Newsmax's "American Agenda." "This lawsuit, the FBI investigation of the archives — which, until there's evidence that national security was compromised, is more than suing for overdue library books — and all of the actions against Trump are obviously political."

In addition to being related to the campaign, which hasn't been announced, the legal actions are due to his backed candidates winning in so many GOP primaries and to his continuing lead over President Joe Biden in the national polls, Morris, the author of "The Return: Trump's Big 2024 Comeback" also said.

Note: Get Dick Morris' new book "The Return" on Trump's secret plan for 2024. See It Here!

"The Democrats are trying to win back in court what they know they're going to lose at the ballot box," said Morris.

Meanwhile, Trump's adult children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, also named in the New York lawsuit, are facing penalties at a time when Biden's son, Hunter, is "walking around unmolested, uninvestigated with serious evidence that he sold out national security to China, and nothing's happening to him," said Morris.

The lawsuit, with James' name attached, is "transparently political and it's going to backfire," he continued."I think that you see them simply go through the process of publicly persecuting by prosecuting a former president and presidential candidates without showing that the process is completely biased," said Morris. "It will not hurt Trump any more than Stormy Daniels did, than Michael Cohen did, than the accusations of the Trump University students did. All of the allegations have been made against this guy by political opponents desperate to stop him."

However, Morris said he thinks the legal cases against the former president will strengthen support for him.

"People will see that the Democrats have not only weaponized, but they nuclearized, the justice system because they know they can't win the election in the primaries," said Morris. "Trump is on his way to announce. It's clear he's going to get the Republican nomination, as I predicted in my book 'The Return.' And I think he'll get it without a primary. When you look at the economy now and you look at the polling, how can you possibly believe that the Democrats are going to win in '24? Donald Trump is the next president of the United States. And that is why the prosecutors are staying up at night trying to go against him. I hope he never littered or jaywalked because those charges are coming."

Morris also Wednesday disputed the results of a USA Today-Suffolk Poll showing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with an eight-point lead in a Florida survey against Trump.

"It just measures relative favorability," said Morris. "It's a beauty contest. If you put Trump against DeSantis for the Republican nomination, the results are 60% for Trump and 17% for DeSantis."

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Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump Slam N.Y. AG’s Fraud Suit on Social Media

Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump Slam N.Y. AG's Fraud Suit on Social Media (Newsmax)

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 03:12 PM EDT

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, the elder sons of former President Donald Trump, crafted their own social-media responses to the Wednesday news of the New York Attorney General office's fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, and the adult Trump children — including Ivanka.

After hearing about the $250 million lawsuit — covering accusations of widespread fraud involving false financial statements related to the Trump Organization — Donald Trump Jr. produced four consecutive posts for his Twitter audience of 8.5 million followers.

The first tweet was a retweet of an old video, when then-New York AG candidate Letitia James promised she would prioritize the targeting of former President Trump, once she got into office.

It's unclear if James had full access to documents pertaining to the Trump Organization or former President Trump at the time of that video.

The second Tweet was a response to a @TrumpWarRoom post about N.Y. AG James. For this post, James was giving another speech about her plans to sue Trump.

This prompted Donald Trump Jr. to succinctly write, "This is all about politics. Weaponizing her office to go after her political opponents!"

The third tweet, which was pinned to DTJ's account, Trump Jr. shows more video evidence of AG James locking onto suing Donald Trump, prior to taking office.

Above the video, Trump Jr. writes, "The [expletive] Dem witch-hunt continues!"

And for the fourth Tweet, DTJ produced a poll graph — courtesy of Insider Advantage — that had AG James trailing her Republican challenger by 1.2 percentage points for the November general election. And above the graph, Trump Jr. wrote:

"Letitia James doesn't care about the law. She's a Dem activist, who only cares about politics.

Here's the most recent poll in her reelection race. So she's now desperately trying to fire up her leftwing base with this BS. This is ALL politics, nothing more.

Disgraceful!!!"

On the TruthSocial app, Eric Trump showed similar videos of N.Y. AG James making campaign promises of bringing down the Trump family, prior to taking office.

However, Eric Trump did include editorial notes in two posts:

Post #1: "'Not a political “witch-hunt?!' What a joke!"

Post #2: "Letitia James is the most corrupt Attorney General in United States History — she campaigned on the promised to sue my father … watch for yourself!"

And for the third Truth post, Eric Trump shared the same poll graph of Republican challenger Michael Henry currently edging James in the Insider Advantage poll.

Eric Trump included a brief message to support the post, saying, "Letitia James Polls — not shocking that she is filing a lawsuit against @realDonaldTrump 49 days before her election."

In a Wednesday statement provided to Newsmax, regarding the $250 million lawsuit, Trump attorney Alina Habba says:

"Today's filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law – rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General's political agenda. It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General's Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place.

"We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the Attorney General's meritless claims."

Original Article

Dershowitz to Newsmax: Trump’s Team Should Push to Remove AG James

Dershowitz to Newsmax: Trump's Team Should Push to Remove AG James (Newsmax/"American Agenda")

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 02:48 PM EDT

The first move former President Donald Trump's attorneys should do to fight back against New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil lawsuit against him and his family members is to push that she be recused and disqualified from the case, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said on Newsmax Wednesday after her announcement.

"I like Letitia James," Dershowitz said on Newsmax's "American Agenda." "She's a very nice person, but she campaigned on the promise to get Trump before seeing any evidence, and so she is just fulfilling a campaign promise. You can't have prosecutors even civilly prosecute a defendant if they made a campaign promise."

James said in a press conference that New York is suing Trump, Trump Organization officials, and three of his adult children — Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric — on allegations of widespread fraud involving financial statements made by the company and that at least $250 million in penalties is being sought.

But Dershowitz pointed out that the state is claiming the "biggest banks in the world" are claiming damages and wanted to know why they were not able to fight for themselves.

"Why does Letitia James have to be out there protecting and defending the biggest banks in the country who haven't sued him at all?" said Dershowitz. "This doesn't pass the test of a legitimate civil complaint, and I think they should be challenging it very vigorously."

Meanwhile, there are elements of the case that would require it to be heard before a jury, while other parts would require arguments solely before a judge, Dershowitz said, and he suggests pushing "very hard" on the issue of disqualifying James.

"Even if they lose in front of the trial court, they should go up on appeal," he said. "That's the kind of issue that is appealable immediately … it's a very, very strong argument."

Further, James will have to prove that the Trump properties were not what he claimed they were when using them to obtain financing, the basis of the case.

"One thing we know about real estate assessment is it's very open-ended and very subjective," said Dershowitz. "You know apartments have sold in New York for double their assessment. It's gonna be a very hard case for her to prove because they have to prove deliberate, intentional, willful fraud, not just that he had a different opinion of the value of his properties and others."

But when prosecutors bring a case, they have to be objective, he added.

"It can't be somebody who thinks that this will help their reelection campaign, and if she didn't bring the case, she would have been unelectable the second time around," said Dershowitz.

Further, it will take a long road to win the case, and James likely "feels she'd be better off politically litigating and losing than not litigating, which is another reason for not allowing her to make that decision," said Dershowitz.

He noted that if he was Gov. Kathy Hochul, he would remove James from the case, even if they are both Democrats.

"When a good prosecutor brings a case, you say you have to presume that it's based on facts and law," said Dershowitz. "I can't make that presumption when the person bringing the lawsuit has her political career on the line, depending on whether she does or doesn't bring this lawsuit.

"I don't think she cares as much about losing as having brought the lawsuit, and that's not the way the criminal justice system or the civil justice system should work."

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Trump Attorney: N.Y. AG Lawsuit Against Trump Not Focused on Facts, Law

Trump Attorney: N.Y. AG Lawsuit Against Trump Not Focused on Facts, Law (Newsmax)

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 02:18 PM EDT

The Trump legal team has responded to the New York Attorney General office's announcement of suing former President Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, and Trump's adult children — Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric — for at least $250 million in penalties, amid accusations of widespread fraud involving false financial statements related to the company.

In a Wednesday statement provided to Newsmax, Trump attorney Alina Habba says:

"Today's filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law – rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General's political agenda. It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General's Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place."

Habba added: "We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the Attorney General's meritless claims."

During her Wednesday press conference, New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who's up for reelection in November, told reporters the fraud lawsuit represents the culmination of a "comprehensive three-year investigation" into the Trump Organization, which apparently included 65 witness accounts and the review of millions of documents.

"We're filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump for violating the law as part of his efforts to generate profits for himself, his family, and his company," said James. "The complaint demonstrates that Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself, and to cheat the system, thereby cheating all of us."

As Newsmax chronicled in June, Donald Trump had challenged a federal judge's decision to dismiss his lawsuit against New York AG James.

Trump also went on the attack back then on his social media app, Truth Social, saying, "I believe that racist and corrupt A.G. James is pushing businesses and wealthy people to leave N.Y. for friendly states. Not sustainable by [New York state]."

And last week, the New York Times reported the Manhattan AG's office had rejected at least one settlement offer from Donald Trump's attorneys — increasing the likelihood of a future lawsuit.

Original Article

Trump: ‘Racist’ AG James’ Lawsuit ‘Another Witch Hunt’

Trump: 'Racist' AG James' Lawsuit 'Another Witch Hunt' (Newsmax)

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 02:03 PM EDT

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday labeled New York Attorney General Letitia James a "racist" and "fraud" after she announced the state was suing Trump, his company, and family members.

She is seeking to bar the Trumps from ever running a business in the state again after alleged fraud involving financial statements related to the company.

"Another Witch Hunt by a racist Attorney General Letitia James, who failed in her run for governor, getting almost zero support from the public, and now is doing poorly against Law & Order A.G. candidate, highly respected Michael Henry," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

"I never thought this case would be brought – until I saw her really bad poll numbers. She is a fraud who campaigned on a 'get Trump' platform, despite the fact that the city is one of the crime and murder disasters of the world under her watch!"

In another post, Trump also slammed James for focusing less on fighting crime in the city.

"Attorney General Letitia 'Peekaboo' James, a total crime fighting disaster in New York, is spending all of her time fighting for very powerful and well represented banks and insurance companies, who were fully paid, made a lot of money, and never had a complaint about me, instead of fighting murder and violent crime, which is killing New York State," he wrote on Truth Social.

"She is a failed A.G. whose lack of talent in the fight against crime is causing record numbers of people and companies to flee New York. Bye, bye!"

James in a press conference said New York was suing Trump, Trump Organization officials and three of Trump adult children – Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric – seeking at least $250 million in penalties.

She said her suit followed a "comprehensive three-year investigation" involving "interviews with 65 witnesses and the review of millions of documents."

"We're filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump for violating the law as part of his efforts to generate profits for himself, his family, and his company," James said.

"The complaint demonstrates that Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself, and to cheat the system, thereby cheating all of us."

Donald Trump's attorney Alina Habba released a statement following James' announcement.

"Today's filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the attorney general's political agenda," Habba's statement read. "It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General's Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place."

Original Article

Trump: ‘Racist’ AG James’ Lawsuit ‘Another Witch Hunt’

Trump: 'Racist' AG James' Lawsuit 'Another Witch Hunt' (Newsmax)

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 02:03 PM EDT

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday labeled New York Attorney General Letitia James a "racist" and "fraud" after she announced the state was suing Trump, his company, and family members.

She is seeking to bar the Trumps from ever running a business in the state again after alleged fraud involving financial statements related to the company.

"Another Witch Hunt by a racist Attorney General Letitia James, who failed in her run for governor, getting almost zero support from the public, and now is doing poorly against Law & Order A.G. candidate, highly respected Michael Henry," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

"I never thought this case would be brought – until I saw her really bad poll numbers. She is a fraud who campaigned on a 'get Trump' platform, despite the fact that the city is one of the crime and murder disasters of the world under her watch!"

In another post, Trump also slammed James for focusing less on fighting crime in the city.

"Attorney General Letitia 'Peekaboo' James, a total crime fighting disaster in New York, is spending all of her time fighting for very powerful and well represented banks and insurance companies, who were fully paid, made a lot of money, and never had a complaint about me, instead of fighting murder and violent crime, which is killing New York State," he wrote on Truth Social.

"She is a failed A.G. whose lack of talent in the fight against crime is causing record numbers of people and companies to flee New York. Bye, bye!"

James in a press conference said New York was suing Trump, Trump Organization officials, and three of Trump's adult children – Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric – seeking at least $250 million in penalties.

She said her suit followed a "comprehensive three-year investigation" involving "interviews with 65 witnesses and the review of millions of documents."

"We're filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump for violating the law as part of his efforts to generate profits for himself, his family, and his company," James said.

"The complaint demonstrates that Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself, and to cheat the system, thereby cheating all of us."

Donald Trump's attorney Alina Habba released a statement following James' announcement.

"Today's filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the attorney general's political agenda," Habba's statement read. "It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General's Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place."

‘Leadership With a Backbone” Lures Florida Hispanic Voters

'Leadership With a Backbone" Lures Florida Hispanic Voters

(Newsmax)

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 01:26 PM EDT

Democrats for years counted on victories in Florida, but that support collapsed in 2020 as many Hispanic voters shifted to the Republican Party.

Many have switched because they have taken to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' style of leadership, according to the Florida GOP, including his firm stance against lockdowns and vaccine mandates and his battle against culture wars, including against Disney, reports the Washington Examiner.

State records show that the number of Hispanic voters registered as Republicans increased by about 15% from August 2020 (587,552 registered GOP compared with Democrats' 920,324) to August 2022 (Republicans had 676,826, while Democrats had 902,744).

"Hispanics really like leadership with a backbone," Helen Aguirre Ferre, executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, told the news outlet. "They really do recognize that it's important to have a strong leader, and the governor has a way where he can use the same language and demeanor whether he's speaking to Wall Street and to Main Street in the same way. That authentic voice makes a big difference."

President Joe Biden lost Florida to former President Donald Trump in 2020 by 373,231 votes. And Florida Republicans have attempted to capitalize on that success by investing heavily in Hispanic outreach; in May, DeSantis announced his campaign was spending $5.3 million in ad buys, all in Spanish.

"As Joe Biden and the Democrat Party continue to lose their footing with the Hispanic community, Republicans are gaining and growing," the DeSantis campaign told Fox News at the time. "Spanish-speaking Hispanics in Florida and across the country are moving towards Governor Ron DeSantis because of his emphasis on economic opportunity, education, public safety, and other family-focused policies. This is our first media investment of the campaign, proving the importance we are placing on sharing our freedom agenda with Spanish-speaking voters across the state of Florida."

DeSantis' decision to transport mostly Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard last week could hurt the governor, though, according to Politico.

"From a Miami perspective, it's a huge mistake," said state Sen. Annette Taddeo, a Democrat challenging incumbent Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla. "All these Republicans — including my opponent — historically talk about socialism and communism and that we are standing up to these horrible dictators. The migrants are fleeing exactly what Republicans say they are fighting against."

Original Article

GOP AGs File Amicus Brief to Back Trump in FBI Raid

GOP AGs File Amicus Brief to Back Trump in FBI Raid (Newsmax)

By Brian Freeman | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 12:58 PM EDT

Eleven Republican attorneys general denounced the FBI raid of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home as a "ransacking" at the hands of the Biden administration in an amicus brief they file to support Trump in his legal battle on the issue, the Washington Examiner reported Wednesday.

The GOP attorneys general made the move after the Justice Department appealed a court decision to stop the agency from looking at classified documents taken from Mar-a-Lago until they can be reviewed by a special master. The DOJ argued delaying its probe would harm national security.

The DOJ has specifically requested, as part of its appeal, access to some materials it believes cause "the most serious and immediate harm to the government and the public," according to the Examiner.

The court gave the special master until Nov. 30 to complete his review of the classified documents taken in the raid.

However, the amicus brief, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, stated the DOJ’s intentions should be looked at "through jaundiced eyes."

"Joe Biden's commitment to weaponizing the DOJ to go after political opponents should deeply concern all Americans," Paxton wrote in a statement. "Given Biden's track record, combined with his rhetoric demonizing anyone he disagrees with, the courts must be on high alert to the ways in which DOJ may abuse its power to punish President Donald Trump."

The amicus brief attempts to show the courts why the DOJ cannot be trusted to have immediate access to the classified documents, presenting four examples in which the Republicans claim the Biden administration has "leveraged its power to engage in questionable political gamesmanship," the Examiner reported.

The FBI took more than 11,000 documents during its raid of Mar-a-Lago last month, with several being considered the highest level of classification, as part of a probe by the DOJ into whether Trump violated the Espionage Act by taking classified documents after leaving the White House.

Paxton was joined by 10 other attorneys general in signing the brief: Ashley Moody of Florida, Todd Rokita of Indiana, Daniel Cameron of Kentucky, Jeff Landry of Louisiana, Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Austin Knudsen of Montana, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Sean Reyes of Utah, and Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia.

GOP AGs File Amicus Brief to Back Trump in FBI Raid

GOP AGs File Amicus Brief to Back Trump in FBI Raid (Newsmax)

By Brian Freeman | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 12:58 PM EDT

Eleven Republican attorneys general denounced the FBI raid of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home as a "ransacking" at the hands of the Biden administration in an amicus brief they filed to support Trump, the Washington Examiner reported Wednesday.

The GOP attorneys general made the move after the Justice Department appealed a court decision to stop the agency from looking at classified documents taken from Mar-a-Lago until they can be reviewed by a special master. The DOJ argued delaying its probe would harm national security.

The DOJ has specifically requested, as part of its appeal, access to some materials it believes cause "the most serious and immediate harm to the government and the public," according to the Examiner.

The court gave the special master until Nov. 30 to complete his review of the classified documents taken in the raid.

However, the amicus brief, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, stated the DOJ’s intentions should be looked at "through jaundiced eyes."

"Joe Biden's commitment to weaponizing the DOJ to go after political opponents should deeply concern all Americans," Paxton wrote in a statement. "Given Biden's track record, combined with his rhetoric demonizing anyone he disagrees with, the courts must be on high alert to the ways in which DOJ may abuse its power to punish President Donald Trump."

The amicus brief attempts to show the courts why the DOJ cannot be trusted to have immediate access to the classified documents, presenting four examples in which the Republicans claim the Biden administration has "leveraged its power to engage in questionable political gamesmanship," the Examiner reported.

The FBI took more than 11,000 documents during its raid of Mar-a-Lago last month, with several being considered the highest level of classification, as part of a probe by the DOJ into whether Trump violated the Espionage Act by taking classified documents after leaving the White House.

Paxton was joined by 10 other attorneys general in signing the brief: Ashley Moody of Florida, Todd Rokita of Indiana, Daniel Cameron of Kentucky, Jeff Landry of Louisiana, Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Austin Knudsen of Montana, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Sean Reyes of Utah, and Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia.

Original Article

Biden: Russia ‘Shamelessly Violated’ UN Charter in Ukraine

Biden: Russia 'Shamelessly Violated' UN Charter in Ukraine (Newsmax)

AAMER MADHANI Wednesday, 21 September 2022 12:43 PM EDT

President Joe Biden declared at the United Nations Wednesday that Russia has "shamelessly violated the core tenets" of the U.N with its "brutal, needless war" in Ukraine. He said the war is an affront to the heart of what the international body stands for as he looked to rally allies to stand firm in backing the Ukrainian resistance.

Delivering a forceful condemnation of Russia's seven-month invasion, Biden said reports of Russian abuses against civilians in Ukraine "should make your blood run cold." And he said President Vladimir Putin's new nuclear threats against Europe showed "reckless disregard" for Russia's responsibilities as a signer of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

He criticized Russia for scheduling "sham referenda" this week in territory it has forcibly seized in Ukraine.

"A permanent member of the U..N Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map. Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the U.N. charter," he told his U.N. audience.

Biden called on all nations, whether democracies or autocracies, to speak out against Russia's invasion and to bolster's Ukraine effort to defend itself.

"We will stand in solidarity against Russia's aggression, period," Biden said.

Biden also highlighted consequences of the invasion for the world's food supply, pledging $2.9 billion in global food security aid to address shortages caused by the war and the effects of climate change. He praised a U.N.-brokered effort to create a corridor for Ukrainian grain to be exported by sea, and called on the agreement to be continued despite the ongoing conflict.

Biden, during his time at the U.N. General Assembly, also planned to meet Wednesday with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss and press allies to meet an $18 billion target to replenish the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

But the heart of the president's visit to the U.N. this year was his full-throated censure of Russia as its war nears the seven-month mark.

The address came as Russian-controlled regions of eastern and southern Ukraine have announced plans to hold Kremlin-backed referendums in days ahead on becoming part of Russia and as Moscow is losing ground in the invasion. Russian President Putin on Wednesday announced a partial mobilization to call up 300,000 reservists and accused the West of engaging in "nuclear blackmail."

The White House said the global food security funding includes $2 billion in direct humanitarian assistance through the United States Agency for International Development. The balance of the money will go to global development projects meant to boost the efficiency and resilience of the global food supply.

"This new announcement of $2.9 billion will save lives through emergency interventions and invest in medium- to long-term food security assistance in order to protect the world's most vulnerable populations from the escalating global food security crisis," the White House said.

Biden was confronting no shortage of difficult issues as leaders gather this year.

In addition to the Russian war in Ukraine, European fears that a recession could be just around the corner are heightened. Administration concerns grow by the day that time is running short to revive the Iran nuclear deal and over China's saber-rattling on Taiwan.

When he addressed last year's General Assembly, Biden focused on broad themes of global partnership, urging world leaders to act with haste against the coronavirus, climate change and human rights abuses. And he offered assurances that his presidency marked a return of American leadership to international institutions following Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy.

But one year later, global dynamics have dramatically changed.

Stewart Patrick, senior fellow and director of the Global Order and Institutions Program at the Washington think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in an analysis that Biden's task this year is "immense" compared to his first address to the U.N. as president.

"Last year, the U.S. leader won easy plaudits as the ‘anti-Trump,' pledging that ‘America was back,'" Patrick said. "This year demands more. The liberal, rules-based international system is reeling, battered by Russian aggression, Chinese ambitions, authoritarian assaults, a halting pandemic recovery, quickening climate change, skepticism of the U.N.'s relevance, and gnawing doubts about American staying power."

Beyond diplomacy, the president is also doing some politicking. This year's gathering comes less than seven weeks before pivotal midterm elections in the United States. Shortly after arriving in Manhattan on Tuesday night, Biden spoke at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser for about 100 participants that raised nearly $2 million, and he's set to hold another fundraiser on Thursday before heading back to Washington.

His Wednesday address comes on the heels of Ukrainian forces retaking control of large stretches of territory near Kharkiv. But even as Ukrainian forces have racked up battlefield wins, much of Europe is feeling painful blowback from economic sanctions levied against Russia. A vast reduction in Russian oil and gas has led to a sharp jump in energy prices, skyrocketing inflation and growing risk of Europe slipping into a recession.

Biden's visit to the U.N. also comes as his administration's efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal appears stalled.

The deal brokered by the Obama administration — and scrapped by Trump in 2018 — provided billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for Iran's agreement to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to extensive international inspection.

Sullivan said no breakthrough with Iran is expected during the General Assembly but Biden would make clear in his speech that a deal can still be done "if Iran is prepared to be serious about its obligations." He added that administration officials would be consulting with fellow signatories of the 2015 deal on the sidelines of this week's meetings.

This year's U.N. gathering is back to being a full-scale, in-person event after two years of curtailed activity due to the pandemic. In 2020, the in-person gathering was canceled and leaders instead delivered prerecorded speeches; last year was a mix of in-person and prerecorded speeches. Biden and first lady Jill Biden were set to host a leaders' reception on Wednesday evening.

China's President Xi Jinping opted not to attend this year's U.N. gathering, but his country's conduct and intentions will loom large during the leaders' talks.

Last month, the U.N. human rights office raised concerns about possible "crimes against humanity" in China's western region against Uyghurs and other largely Muslim ethnic groups. Beijing has vowed to suspend cooperation with the office and blasted what it described as a Western plot to undermine China's rise.

Meanwhile, China's government on Monday said Biden's statement in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview that American forces would defend Taiwan if Beijing tried to invade the self-ruled island was a violation of U.S. commitments on the matter, but it gave no indication of possible retaliation.

The White House said after the interview that there has been no change in U.S. policy on Taiwan, which China claims as its own. That policy says Washington wants to see Taiwan's status resolved peacefully but doesn't say whether U.S. forces might be sent in response to a Chinese attack.

Original Article

USA Today-Suffolk Poll: DeSantis Leads Trump Among Florida Voters

USA Today-Suffolk Poll: DeSantis Leads Trump Among Florida Voters (Newsmax)

By Peter Malbin | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 12:01 PM EDT

Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis leads former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical presidential primary for the state by eight points, according to a new poll.

The USA Today-Suffolk University poll released Wednesday revealed that 48% of Florida Republican voters surveyed support DeSantis in the hypothetical matchup, compared to 40% who support Trump.

In a switch, Trump led DeSantis in the January USA Today-Suffolk poll, by 47% to 40%, indicating that high-profile FBI and criminal investigations may be adversely affecting the former president in favor of rising-star DeSantis.

David Paleologos, the director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, told USA Today that DeSantis’ lead among Florida Republicans does not necessarily mean he would lead in other states, but it could point to a shift among certain GOP voters, The Hill reported.

"But it is one data point suggesting a shift in preferences from GOP voters away from Trump and toward DeSantis from Republicans who know both potential combatants quite well," he said.

Both politicians are considered to be running possibilities in 2024, although DeSantis says he is focused on running for reelection as Florida governor.

Nationally, Trump still leads DeSantis among Republicans. But DeSantis is popular among many Florida Republicans for his tough stance on illegal migrants, his pro-business COVID-19 policies, and conservative education platform.

The Florida poll found significant class differences among Republican voters, with Trump leading DeSantis by 53% to 36% among those making less than $50,000 per year. Among people earning $50,000 of more, DeSantis leads Trump, 55% to 33%.

College-educated voters favor DeSantis by 60% to 30%, while those who didn't attend college prefer Trump by 57% to 27%, in the USA Today poll.

Both candidates would defeat President Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 match-up. DeSantis leads Biden, 52% to 44%, while Trump leads Biden by 3 points in Florida, 47% to 44%, according to the poll.

The poll was conducted Sept. 15-18 among 500 likely Florida midterm election voters. The margin of error for all respondents is 4.4 points.

Original Article

N.Y. Attorney General Files $250M Fraud Suit Against Trump, Children, Company

N.Y. Attorney General Files $250M Fraud Suit Against Trump, Children, Company (Newsmax)

By Charlie McCarthy | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 12:30 PM EDT

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday the state was filing suit against former President Donald Trump, his company, and family members for fraud.

James, speaking at a late-morning press conference, said New York was suing Trump, Trump Organization officials, and three of the former president's adult children — Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric — seeking at least $250 million in penalties for allegedly widespread fraud involving false financial statements related to the company.

James, a Democrat who campaigned on suing Trump, said her suit followed a "comprehensive three-year investigation" involving "interviews with 65 witnesses and the review of millions of documents."

"We're filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump for violating the law as part of his efforts to generate profits for himself, his family, and his company," James said.

"The complaint demonstrates that Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself, and to cheat the system, thereby cheating all of us."

Donald Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, released a statement following James' announcement.

"Today's filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the attorney general's political agenda. It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General's Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place," Habba said.

"We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the attorney general's meritless claims."

James claimed Trump's children, former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and organization controller Jeffrey McConney assisted the former president in the alleged crimes.

The lawsuit alleges that from 2011-2021, Trump and the Trump Organization knowingly and intentionally created more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets on his annual Statements of Financial Condition to defraud financial institutions.

"The Trump Organization repeatedly and persistently manipulated the value of assets to induce banks to lend money to the Trump organization on more favorable terms than would otherwise would have been available to the company to pay lower taxes, to satisfy continuing loan agreements, and to induce insurance companies to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums," James said.

The attorney general said she was seeking penalties that included the banning of Trump and his children from serving as an officer with any company licensed in New York, and preventing Trump and the Trump Organization from entering into any state commercial real estate acquisition and from applying for loans from a New York institution for five years.

The state also seeks disgorgement of all financial benefits obtained through the alleged fraudulent practices, estimated to total $250 million.

She added her office is forwarding alleged federal criminal violations to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the IRS.

Trump last month said he refused to answer questions during an appearance before James' civil investigation into his family's business practices, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.

The former president has accused James of conducting a "with hunt" against him.

Original Article

N.Y. Attorney General Files $250M Fraud Suit Against Trump, Children, Company

N.Y. Attorney General Files $250M Fraud Suit Against Trump, Children, Company (Newsmax)

By Charlie McCarthy | Wednesday, 21 September 2022 12:30 PM EDT

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday the state was filing suit against former President Donald Trump, his company, and family members for fraud.

James, speaking at a late-morning press conference, said New York was suing Trump, Trump Organization officials, and three of the former president's adult children — Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric — seeking at least $250 million in penalties for allegedly widespread fraud involving false financial statements related to the company.

James, a Democrat who campaigned on suing Trump, said her suit followed a "comprehensive three-year investigation" involving "interviews with 65 witnesses and the review of millions of documents."

"We're filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump for violating the law as part of his efforts to generate profits for himself, his family, and his company," James said.

"The complaint demonstrates that Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself, and to cheat the system, thereby cheating all of us."

Donald Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, released a statement following James' announcement.

"Today's filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the attorney general's political agenda. It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General's Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place," Habba said.

"We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the attorney general's meritless claims."

James claimed Trump's children, former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and organization controller Jeffrey McConney assisted the former president in the alleged crimes.

The lawsuit alleges that from 2011-2021, Trump and the Trump Organization knowingly and intentionally created more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets on his annual Statements of Financial Condition to defraud financial institutions.

"The Trump Organization repeatedly and persistently manipulated the value of assets to induce banks to lend money to the Trump organization on more favorable terms than would otherwise would have been available to the company to pay lower taxes, to satisfy continuing loan agreements, and to induce insurance companies to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums," James said.

The attorney general said she was seeking penalties that included the banning of Trump and his children from serving as an officer with any company licensed in New York, and preventing Trump and the Trump Organization from entering into any state commercial real estate acquisition and from applying for loans from a New York institution for five years.

The state also seeks disgorgement of all financial benefits obtained through the alleged fraudulent practices, estimated to total $250 million.

She added her office is forwarding alleged federal criminal violations to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the IRS.

Trump last month said he refused to answer questions during an appearance before James' civil investigation into his family's business practices, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.

The former president has accused James of conducting a "with hunt" against him.