Letitia James accuses Donald Trump of ‘weaponizing’ US justice system after her indictment – US politics live | US news

Letitia James files criminal complaint in connection with Trump’s latest effort to punish his rivals
Hello, welcome to the live blog of US politics. I’m Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you the latest news over the next few hours.
We start with this news A federal grand jury has indicted New York attorney general Letitia James for bank fraud, according to a person familiar with the matter..
Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, personally presented the case to the grand jury on Thursday, the person said. U.S. attorneys generally do not present before grand juries.
“This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement to do his bidding as I do my job as New York state attorney general,” James said. recorded video statement on Thursday.
“These accusations are baseless, and the president’s public statements make clear that his sole purpose is political revenge at any cost. The president’s actions are a serious violation of our constitutional order and have been the subject of harsh criticism from members of both parties.”
Halligan was appointed to the post last month after Donald Trump became frustrated with the pace of investigations into his rivals. “No one is above the law,” Halligan said in a statement.
“The charges alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and monumental violations of the public trust. The facts and law in this case are clear, and we will continue to pursue them to ensure justice is served.”
Read the full story here:
In other developments:
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A federal judge in Illinois Issued a temporary restraining order preventing National Guard troops from being deployed to Chicagosaying he was in court There is no evidence that a riot broke out in Illinois and the Department of Homeland Security’s “account of events is completely unreliable.”
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In a similar case in federal court in San Francisco, Defying Trump’s deployment of troops to Portland, OregonThe appellate judges heard the arguments and found they were more likely to rule in Trump’s favor, allowing the troops to be deployed.
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Nearly half of FBI agents working in major U.S. field offices have been reassigned to assist with immigration enforcementIt’s a dramatic shift in law enforcement priorities that will raise public safety concerns, according to newly released data.
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US troops sent to Israel as part of peace deal approved Thursday To help support and monitor the ceasefire, according to multiple reports.
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US Senate deadlocked Friday on legislation to end government shutdownDonald Trump repeated his threat to make Democrats pay for the funding cuts that have closed federal agencies and furloughed workers across the country.
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Possibility of US stock market crash The president of America’s largest bank said the figure is much larger than many financiers believe.
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Rutgers University professor who lectures on anti-fascism According to media reports, he was prevented from leaving the United States for Spain.
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Meanwhile, The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced today. Donald Trump wants to win the award this year, but he probably won’t.
important events
The Phoenix metro sheriff’s office spent millions of dollars over budget on compliance costs in Joe Arpaio’s racial profiling case over immigration crackdowns that had little or nothing to do with a court-ordered overhaul of the agency, an expert’s report finds.
The report released Wednesday criticized the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for personnel costs unrelated to the overhaul and the use of compliance money to partially or fully fund its missions.
It also noted improper spending: $2.8 million for extra body-worn camera licenses that went beyond court orders; a $1.5 million renovation of an internal affairs office relocation; over $1.3 million to purchase 42 vehicles; and an $11,000 golf cart to transport staff from headquarters to the internal affairs operation, even though the department had rented parking at the second location.
For more than a decade, Maricopa County taxpayers have passed bills to correct constitutional violations found in Sheriff Arpaio’s 2013 profiling order on traffic patrols targeting immigrants.
The racial profiling case focused on 20 large-scale traffic patrols by Arpaio targeting immigrants from January 2008 to October 2011. This led to profiling and expensive court-ordered overhauls of the agency’s traffic patrol operations and, later, its internal affairs unit.
The county says $323 million has been spent so far on legal expenses, staff monitoring the sheriff’s department’s progress and compliance costs for the agency. The total is expected to reach $352 million by July 2026, the county said.
US to send 200 soldiers to Israel to support and monitor ceasefire agreement
Gabrielle Canon
US troops were sent to Israel as part of the peace deal approved Thursday to help support and monitor the ceasefire, according to multiple reports.
Senior US officials told reporters: 200 troops will be on the ground initially, with a “civilian-military coordination center” operated by U.S. Central Command to facilitate the flow of logistics and security assistance as well as humanitarian aid to the region devastated by the two-year war, the Associated Press reported.
Reuters and ABC News also reported that military units were sent to Israel.
U.S. officials said the troops were part of a broader team that included partner countries, nongovernmental organizations and private sector organizations that were there to help monitor the peace deal and the transition to civilian government in Gaza.
U.S. troops have begun arriving at the site from around the world and will continue traveling to the area over the weekend to begin planning and setting up the center, according to one of the officials.
They said that American troops will not be sent to Gaza and that approximately 200 US soldiers who are experts in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering will work in the coordination center.
Federal appeals court hears arguments on whether Trump can federalize Oregon National Guard
A federal appeals court heard arguments over whether Donald Trump had the authority to seize control of 200 Oregon National Guard troops. The president had planned to station them in Portland; There, protesters dressed in frog and chicken costumes appeared in mostly small, nightly demonstrations held in front of an Ice building.
A three-judge panel in San Francisco on Thursday is likely to strike down the order blocking Trump’s deployment to Portland, which would have cleared the way for hundreds of troops to enter the city.
On Sunday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the move. Trump had mobilized California troops toward Portland just hours after a judge first blocked Oregon from using its protection.
Oregon deputy attorney general Stacy Chaffin, echoing the language of the lower court judge who blocked Trump’s inauguration, said the president’s statements about Portland being torn apart by violence were “detached from reality.”
The justices questioned whether they should only consider current conditions or more active protests that temporarily closed Ice’s Portland headquarters earlier this year.
Trump-appointed US circuit judge Ryan Nelson said courts should not conduct a “day-to-day” review of whether troops are needed at any given time.
Letitia James files criminal complaint in connection with Trump’s latest effort to punish his rivals
Hello, welcome to the live blog of US politics. I’m Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you the latest news over the next few hours.
We start with this news A federal grand jury has indicted New York attorney general Letitia James for bank fraud, according to a person familiar with the matter..
Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, personally presented the case to the grand jury on Thursday, the person said. U.S. attorneys generally do not present before grand juries.
“This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement to do his bidding as I do my job as New York state attorney general,” James said. recorded video statement on Thursday.
“These accusations are baseless, and the president’s public statements make clear that his sole purpose is political revenge at any cost. The president’s actions are a serious violation of our constitutional order and have been the subject of harsh criticism from members of both parties.”
Halligan was appointed to the post last month after Donald Trump became frustrated with the pace of investigations into his rivals. “No one is above the law,” Halligan said in a statement.
“The charges alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and monumental violations of the public trust. The facts and law in this case are clear, and we will continue to pursue them to ensure justice is served.”
Read the full story here:
In other developments:
-
A federal judge in Illinois Issued a temporary restraining order preventing National Guard troops from being deployed to Chicagosaying he was in court There is no evidence that a riot broke out in Illinois and the Department of Homeland Security’s “account of events is completely unreliable.”
-
In a similar case in federal court in San Francisco, Defying Trump’s deployment of troops to Portland, OregonThe appellate judges heard the arguments and found they were more likely to rule in Trump’s favor, allowing the troops to be deployed.
-
Nearly half of FBI agents working in major U.S. field offices have been reassigned to assist with immigration enforcementIt’s a dramatic shift in law enforcement priorities that will raise public safety concerns, according to newly released data.
-
US troops sent to Israel as part of peace deal approved Thursday To help support and monitor the ceasefire, according to multiple reports.
-
US Senate deadlocked Friday on legislation to end government shutdownDonald Trump repeated his threat to make Democrats pay for the funding cuts that have closed federal agencies and furloughed workers across the country.
-
Possibility of US stock market crash The president of America’s largest bank said the figure is much larger than many financiers believe.
-
Rutgers University professor who lectures on anti-fascism According to media reports, he was prevented from leaving the United States for Spain.
-
Meanwhile, The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced today. Donald Trump wants to win the award this year, but he probably won’t.




