Trump asks federal judge to halt civil investigation into his business practices by NY attorney general

Former President Donald Trump has asked a federal judge in New York to halt a civil investigation into his business practices by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her in a new court filing of weaponizing her office to carry out a "targeted attack against a political adversary."

Trump sued James last month in federal court to block her investigation into how the Trump Organization valued its real estate holdings. He is now asking for a preliminary injunction while the outcome of his lawsuit is decided and for James to recuse herself from the civil investigation.

"Letitia James has displayed a shocking irreverence for her prosecutorial ethics and has routinely exploited her position to malign the former president by turning an unfounded investigation into a public spectacle," Trump's motion said. "In doing so, she has exposed the vindictive and self-serving nature of her actions."

In response, James said this was merely a delay tactic by the former president.

"The Trump Organization has continually sought to delay our investigation into its business dealings. To be clear, neither Donald Trump nor the Trump Organization get to dictate if and where they will answer for their actions," James said in a statement. "Our investigation will continue undeterred because no one is above the law, not even someone with the name Trump."

James recently subpoenaed two of Trump's children, eldest son Donald Trump Jr. and eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, and indicated in a court filing neither would cooperate.

The Trump Organization sought to vacate the subpoenas, arguing they were improperly issued while the Manhattan District Attorney's office, with assistance from James' office, conducts a parallel criminal investigation.

"The all too familiar subject areas identified in the document subpoenas include requests for information about valuations and appraisals of properties and assets of Plaintiffs. These matters have long been the subject of Defendant's joint criminal investigation with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Defendant's civil investigation dating back to 2019," Trump's motion said.