Hawai‘i State Attorney General joins in coalition condemning retaliation prosecution of New York State AG James

Hawai‘i State Attorney General Anne Lopez joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general from across the continental U.S. to issue a joint statement condemning the Trump administration’s retaliatory prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“We resoundingly denounce the Trump administration’s retaliatory prosecution of our colleague, New York Attorney General Letitia James,” according to the joint statement from attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont and the District of Columbia.

Since a New York State judge found Donald Trump liable for years of business fraud and illegal dealings in a case led by Attorney General James, Trump has repeatedly broadcast his desire to arrest and prosecute her, the statement indicated.

According to the statemnet, Trump is demanding an indictment James even though the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert resigned rather than seeking an indictment.

“None of us, whether our states’ top legal officials or members of the public, should stand idly by while justice is upended and this president uses the criminal legal system to pursue his personal vendettas,” the statement indicated. “The Trump-directed arms of the executive branch have arrested a sitting member of Congress, charged the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and criminally investigated a governor of the Federal Reserve, among other retaliatory and politically motivated pursuits.”

The attorneys general went on to say they stand in solidarity with James.

“We commit to doing all we can to ensure that the rule of law prevails and to resist the further corrosion of our system of justice,” according to the statement.