President-elect Trump has requested New York Lawyer Common Letitia James to (D) drop her multimillion-dollar civil fraud case towards him, citing a must “cure” partisan divisions following Trump’s election victory.
D. John Sauer, an appellate lawyer whom Trump tapped for solicitor basic, in Tuesday’s letter framed dropping the case as “needed for the well being of our Republic,” invoking former President George Washington’s Farewell Tackle and former President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation through the Civil Warfare.
“Within the aftermath of his historic election victory, President Trump has referred to as for our Nation’s partisan strife to finish, and for the contending factions to affix forces for the higher good of the nation,” he wrote. “This name for unity extends to the authorized onslaught towards him and his household that permeated the latest election cycle.”
A New York choose earlier this yr discovered Trump and his enterprise chargeable for fraud and having conspired to change his internet price for tax and insurance coverage advantages. He ordered the defendants to pay $464 million, plus tax, of which Trump primarily bears the brunt.
Right now, the president-elect, Trump Group and high executives, together with his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, owe greater than $496 million with curiosity, since that determine has continued to develop whereas he appeals.
The New York lawyer basic’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Sauer’s letter previews that if James doesn’t comply with wipe the large judgment and dismiss all claims, Trump’s workforce could argue that the case unconstitutionally interferes along with his duties as president.
The lawyer went on to notice how particular counsel Jack Smith dropped each of his felony prosecutions towards Trump following his White Home win, and a choose is equally weighing whether or not to dismiss the president-elect’s hush cash conviction in New York.
The fraud case is civil, however Sauer mentioned it ought to fare no completely different.
“This case warrants the same treatment,” Sauer wrote within the letter, which was first reported by Fox Information.
Sauer is one in all Trump’s appellate attorneys and efficiently argued his presidential immunity enchantment earlier than the Supreme Court docket.
After profitable the election, Trump nominated Sauer to function the No. 4 Justice Division official who decides which instances the federal authorities appeals and represents the federal government earlier than the excessive court docket.
“As counsel for President Trump on this enchantment — and now as his nominee for Solicitor Common of the USA — I’ve had the chance to ‘expertise this partisan division personally, and I strongly consider that it’s needed for the well being of our Republic for the strife and lawfare to finish,” Sauer wrote to James. “You now have the singular alternative to assist remedy this division.”
James, who sued Trump in 2022 and took him to trial final yr, mentioned in a speech after Trump’s election that her workplace is ready to tackle a second Trump administration. She didn’t point out the civil fraud case, however mentioned she meant to “continue to stand tall in the face of injustice, revenge, retribution.”
Trump has personally attacked James as “incompetent” and has instructed she sought to maintain him out of the White Home.
