Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Federal prosecutors subpoena NY AG Letitia James over Trump, NRA cases per reports
By
Samantha Max
and
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Aug 8, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
New York Attorney General via Flickr
By
Samantha Max
and
Jimmy Vielkind
Published Aug 8, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas to Attorney General Letitia James related to two of her most controversial cases, according to the New York Times and the Associated Press.
The Times first reported that the U.S. attorney in Albany is looking into James' civil cases against President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association. James sued Trump in 2022, alleging that he had committed fraud by inflating his net worth to get more favorable bank loans for his company. A New York judge ordered Trump and his associates to pay more than $450 million.
James also sued the NRA in 2020, accusing the gun rights group of spending millions of dollars on its executives’ personal expenses. During a 2024 civil trial, the attorney general’s office argued that the organization broke state laws and its own policies by spending recklessly on private jets, lavish meals and vacations to the Bahamas. The nonprofit was ultimately ordered to update its policies to follow New York’s nonprofit laws.
The two cases have drawn the ire of Trump and his supporters. James and Trump have repeatedly butted heads, with the attorney general pursuing legal action and publicly vowing to hold Trump accountable for alleged wrongdoing, while Trump has labeled James a “crook” and called for her resignation.
James' office did not confirm the subpoenas but said in a statement that "any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American."
“We stand strongly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association, and we will continue to stand up for New Yorkers’ rights,” a spokesperson for the office said.
A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to comment and the U.S. attorney's office did not immediately respond to voicemail. James’ personal attorney, Abbe Lowell, also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Governor Kathy Hochul said Friday that the Trump administration should leave James alone and let her do her job. Hochul said the attorney general has the right to pursue cases when there’s evidence and criticized the federal government for trying to get in her way.
"That just shows how far they're willing to go to disrupt all of the foundations of our democracy,” she said.
John A. Sarcone, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York who is reportedly investigating James, had never been a prosecutor before he was sworn in as an interim U.S. attorney in March.
Judges in the Northern District declined to appoint Sarcone as the U.S. attorney when his interim appointment expired in July. He is now serving as an acting U.S. attorney, pursuant to a special appointment by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Sarcone unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination to challenge James in the 2022 election. Speaking to reporters in May, he criticized James for saying in her 2018 campaign that she would go after Trump.
“ It's reckless and it's irresponsible in my opinion, and unethical,” he said at the time. “I don't have a problem saying that, 'cause that's what it is.”
This story has been updated to include a comment from Governor Kathy Hochul.
Tagged
Politics
new york state
public safety
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
Read more
Jimmy Vielkind
Jimmy Vielkind covers how state government and politics affect people throughout New York. He has covered Albany since 2008, most recently as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Jimmy led a team of reporters that won a New York Press Club award for coverage of Andrew Cuomo’s downfall and was on a team that won a Gerald Loeb Award for coverage of Amazon’s HQ2 process. A native of the Capitol Region, Jimmy has two degrees in urban planning. His position is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Reach Jimmy at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .