President Donald Trump is once again weaponizing the legal system to fulfill his personal vendettas. Last year, before he could point to a single crime that he claimed she had committed, Trump called for the prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who was suing him for fraudulent business dealing. On Thursday the Justice Department secured an indictment against James, alleging bank fraud.
The story behind the indictment says it all. A federal prosecutor decided recently that there was not enough evidence to bring charges against James. In a normal administration, that would have been the end of the case. But Trump did not take no for an answer. He forced that prosecutor’s resignation and in a social media post last month demanded that Attorney General Pam Bondi appoint a new prosecutor: Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally and insurance lawyer who had never prosecuted a case.
He also demanded that Halligan pursue charges against both James and James Comey, the former director of the FBI.
The charges relate to mortgage paperwork that James filed when she bought a house in Virginia in 2020. Previous prosecutors did not find sufficient evidence that James was knowingly dishonest, and legal experts say the charges are flimsy at best. Even if the Justice Department ultimately loses in court, the legal fight will demand James’ time and money. It signals to politicians and the public that opposing the president has a cost, including the explicit threat of imprisonment.
America is now in a dangerous period, in which the president can order investigations and indictments against his enemies. Trump is criminalizing Americans’ ability to challenge their leaders.