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James announced that she is taking action to stop the former president's “baseless efforts to thwart the ongoing lawful and justified investigation into his and the Trump Organization’s financial dealings," as she filed a motion in US District Court.
In December, Trump filed a lawsuit against James in federal court in an effort to halt her office’s investigation and interfere with state court proceedings, drawing the ire of the AG.
On Wednesday, Jan. 26, James filed a motion to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit, arguing that it is “a baseless attempt to forum shop and should be dismissed on both procedural and substantive grounds.”
James said that the motion to dismiss argues that the "federal court should decline to hear the case in deference to the ongoing state court action under well-settled legal doctrines that bar federal courts from considering claims that could be more efficiently and appropriately brought in ongoing state court actions.”
The motion also argues that Trump and his Organization have acknowledged the legitimacy of her office’s investigation and largely complied with it for nearly three years, which undermines the argument stated in the former president’s lawsuit attempting to block James.
To date, the Trump Organization has produced more than 900,000 documents, has brought in more than a dozen employees for testimony, and has been subject to multiple orders entered by the presiding state court judge requiring compliance with AG's subpoenas, officials noted.
“This lawsuit is nothing but a baseless and meritless collateral attack by Donald Trump to stop our legal and legitimate investigation into his and the Trump Organization’s financial dealings,” James said.
“In the three years that we have been conducting this investigation, the Trump Organization and its principles have never challenged the legality of the investigation, until now, when Mr. Trump himself was subpoenaed to testify. We will not be deterred by frivolous lawsuits and will continue to follow the facts of this case because no one is above the law.”
Trump was first subpoenaed and a deadline was set for Friday, Jan. 7, and his children received the same on Monday, Jan. 3, though they have vowed not to comply as their lawyers look to block the action.
The subpoenas seek "testimony and documents 'in connection with an investigation into the valuation of properties owned or controlled by Donald J. Trump or the Trump Organization, or any matter which the Attorney General deems pertinent.’’
“Despite numerous attempts to delay our investigation by the Trump Organization, we are confident that our questions will be answered and the truth will be uncovered because no one is above the law,” a spokesperson for James' office previously said.
“For more than two years, members of the Trump family and the Trump Organization have continually sought to delay and impede our investigation into Donald Trump and the Trump Organization, but despite their names, they must play by the same rules as everyone else.”
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