Baltimore, MD – Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown is leading a 21-state coalition condemning what they call a politically motivated investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of weaponizing law enforcement as retribution for her legal battles with former President Donald Trump.
In an open letter released Friday, Brown and attorneys general from across the country expressed alarm over what they described as a campaign of harassment and intimidation aimed at James, who brought civil fraud charges against Trump and his businesses in New York state court.
The letter specifically criticizes the Department’s newly formed “Weaponization Working Group,” led by Edward R. Martin Jr., alleging the group’s probe into James is driven not by credible evidence but by political and personal animus.
“Martin’s antics and actions amount more to those of a showman than to those of a representative of the United States government,” the letter reads, calling on the Department of Justice to end what the coalition sees as a retaliatory abuse of power.
The attorneys general emphasized that prosecutors must be trusted to act with impartiality and warned that using federal resources to pursue personal vendettas undermines the rule of law.
The letter marks a rare, coordinated response by state legal officials to what they view as overreach by federal authorities. No criminal charges have been announced against James, and the DOJ has not commented publicly on the matter.
Joining Brown in signing the letter were attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
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Key Points
- Maryland AG Anthony Brown led a 21-state coalition denouncing a federal investigation into NY AG Letitia James
- The letter accuses the DOJ of political retaliation tied to James’ civil case against Donald Trump
- AGs warn that federal law enforcement should not be used for personal or political retribution
A united front of state attorneys general is accusing federal officials of weaponizing justice against one of their own.
