New York Attorney General Letitia James was a no-show Thursday at former President Trump’s civil trial as she faces criticism for making at least five appearances at the courthouse in New York City, where the case has been unfolding since the start of November.
As the defense is expected to begin presenting its case Monday, James – the Democrat who sued Trump, his children and the Trump Organization last year, alleging that he and his company misled banks and others about the value of his assets – has been a frequent fixture at the proceedings.
James was most recently photographed on Wednesday by the media who gathered at the New York State Supreme Court building in Lower Manhattan, the same day Trump’s daughter testified that she was not involved in the creation of or discussions regarding her father’s statements of financial condition, which have fallen at the center of the non-jury civil trial.
“It is so inappropriate and so highly unusual. Attorneys general do not attend trials. They just don’t,” Fox News Legal Editor Kerri Kupec Urbahn said on “Fox & Friends” that morning when asked about James’ recurring presence in the courtroom.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James returns to the courtroom after a lunch break during the civil fraud trial of former President Trump and his children at New York State Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 8, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“The fact that she is going every day – on the taxpayers’ dime – putting aside every other thing she has to do to sit there in the front row, to smile, after she campaigned on going against Donald Trump, it’s to be in the shot, to make statements to the press and just further bolsters the widespread frustration that this is a political witch hunt,” Urbahn argued.
The trial is not in session on Friday in observance of Veterans Day. However, James has been photographed making appearances at it on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week, and then on Monday and Wednesday of this week.
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Ivanka Trump, former President Trump’s daughter, leaves New York State Supreme Court after testifying at his civil trial on Wednesday. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
James posted on Thursday that “Donald Trump will continue to lie and claim that he did nothing wrong.
“But the truth is we already proved he committed years of financial fraud, and there are consequences for breaking the law,” the attorney general added.
In a video message posted on X on Wednesday, James said “[A]s we have shown, and as the judge has already ruled, Donald Trump and his company committed repeated fraud. I am confident that we will prevail on the rest of our case because the facts don’t lie.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James sits in the courtroom during the fraud trial of former President Trump and his children on Friday, Nov. 3. (Dave Sanders-Pool/Getty Images)
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Trump’s lawyers on Thursday asked the judge to make a directed verdict and end the trial, saying the attorney general’s office has not proved its case and there is no evidence of fraud, no victims, and no violations of covenants.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.