DOJ opens investigation into New York AG’s office that brought fraud case against Trump

Federal prosecutors are in the early stages of an investigation into the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a civil fraud case against President Donald Trump, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The probe is focused on whether or not the New York attorney general’s office caused a deprivation of legal rights under the color of law through its civil suits against Trump and his businesses as well as the National Rifle Association, these people said. It is being run out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, two of these sources said.

In response to an NBC News inquiry, a spokesperson for the AG’s office said: “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 U.S. Attorney’s Office did not return a request for comment.

James successfully sued Trump and his company over what her office said were fraudulent misrepresentations of his wealth and financial statements. A judge awarded James’ office over $300 million in a disgorgement penalty, but the case is on appeal.

James’ office also sued the NRA and its leadership with mixed results. The attorney general had sought the dissolution of the NRA in what is commonly referred to as the corporate “death penalty,” but a judge struck down those claims.

In 2024, James’ office did win its civil fraud case against the longtime head of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre, with a jury convicting him of diverting millions of dollars from the gun group for his own personal lifestyle.

It is not immediately clear how far along the DOJ investigation into James’ office is and what evidence, if any, the Justice Department has gathered in the probe.