Press Release  Attorney General Campbell Joins Open Letter Condemning Abusive Federal Campaign Against New York Attorney General James

Boston — Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general condemning the U.S. Department of Justice’s abusive investigation of New York State Attorney General Letitia James as political retribution.   

In an open letter released today, the coalition denounced what it calls a pattern of harassment and intimidation against Attorney General James, who pursued legal action against President Trump and his New York-based businesses in a New York state court. The coalition writes, “As lawyers, public servants, and defenders of the rule of law, we are deeply alarmed by the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice to engage the machinery of criminal law enforcement in a campaign of intimidation against New York Attorney General Letitia James.”  

The letter notes that the criminal investigation recently launched by the Department against Attorney General James appears to be motivated by political and personal grudges, rather than any real suspicion of wrongdoing. It highlights recent actions by Edward R. Martin Jr., director of the Department’s “Weaponization Working Group,” who is leading the investigation. The coalition argues that “Martin’s antics and actions amount more to those of a showman than to those of a representative of the United States government charged with ensuring that impartiality, integrity, and fairness are the cornerstones of criminal investigation and enforcement.”  

The coalition concluded: “As the attorneys general and chief legal officers of our respective states, we know that the people rely on prosecutorial authorities to wield the power of government to protect the public interest, without fear or favor. Deploying the power of the government in pursuit of personal vendettas, to achieve political ends, or to thwart the enforcement of state law is an abuse of that trust. We call on the Department of Justice to cease its attacks on AG James and other political targets. And we call on others in power to stand up against the Department’s abuses. The wheels of justice must never become a tool of political and personal retribution.”  

The full letter can be found here.   

Joining AG Campbell in issuing this letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. 

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