On Wednesday, former U.S. Attorney General William Barr criticized the civil case filed by New York AG Letitia James against the Trump family, saying it was difficult for him “not to infer it’s a political hit job.”
The former president, his company, and other associates are the subject of the case. The lawsuit also names Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Jeffrey McConney, Allen Weisselberg, The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, The Trump Organization, Inc., and other individuals in addition to the former president.
The lawsuit aims to fine the defendants $250 million and forbid them from running any enterprises in New York. James also wants to prohibit Trump and the Trump Organization from investing in New York real estate for the following five years. The Department of Justice will be given jurisdiction over the New York attorney general’s probe into Trump.
In an interview with John Roberts on Fox News, Barr addressed the case.
She appears to want to destroy the family business, according to Roberts. Do you approve of what she is doing?
Barr retorted, “It’s difficult for me not to say it’s a political attack job. And here is a woman who ran for office saying that she promised she was going to pursue Donald Trump, which I believe is a great misuse of government to go head-hunting and pursuing specific people. So, I believe she was just aiming for Pres. Trump. And now, three years later, there is a civil action whose main contention is that President Trump personally guaranteed whatever loans the Trump Organization took out.”
“And to back up that, she says he overstated his holdings on his financial reports. I’m not even certain that she has a good case against Trump now. She severely oversteps when she tries to bring the kids into this, and this is what really convinced me that this is a political attack operation,” said Barr. “Yes, they played a part in the company, but this was his financial statement for himself. The CFO created it. There were accounting firms engaged. Children won’t be aware of the specifics of it and won’t be expected to conduct independent research and examine it themselves in the reality.”
Thus, he said, “This looks to me like a totally disgusting misuse of power, which I think is going to backfire on them, because I believe that it will make people sympathetic for Trump, considering that this is just another example of individuals piling on him due to Trump Derangement Syndrome, a strong urge to punish him.”
