An internal email from a former New York Assistant Attorney General claims that the office of Attorney General Letitia James directed him to "find and pursue crimes" specifically targeting Donald Trump and his affiliated organizations, according to a report. The email, sent by Assistant Attorney General Daniel Wiesenfeld to approximately 2,000 colleagues, alleged that his supervisor instructed him to target Trump, Truth Social, and Hewlett Packard without a credible basis.
Wiesenfeld's email, as detailed by the Albany Times-Union and reported by the New York Post, reportedly stated that the agenda was set by James's "personal grudges with Trump." He claimed that the Attorney General's office was prioritizing "political theater and getting re-elected" over addressing issues such as rampant fraud in homeless shelters and Medicaid programs, as well as crimes in Jewish communities.
According to the report, Wiesenfeld wrote that James was using "significant public taxpayer dollars to target convenient public enemies" and that "Going after Trump, even unsuccessfully, wins elections in New York. Tracking down inconspicuous and very real crimes does not."
Within an hour of Wiesenfeld sending the email, it was reportedly deleted remotely from employee inboxes and vanished from the department's servers. The Attorney General's general counsel, Kumiki Gibson, subsequently sent an agency-wide email characterizing Wiesenfeld's communication as an "internal" matter and stating that no one was in danger.
Wiesenfeld, 34, has been placed on paid administrative leave. He previously worked at the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office before joining the state Attorney General's office in June 2024. His father described him as a "very good person" and "very dedicated."
The article also references James's ongoing civil fraud case against Trump, his company, his CFO, and his adult sons. This case alleges that Trump and his company exaggerated asset values to obtain favorable loans, though Trump had repaid all loans and the banks involved were reportedly satisfied. The New York Appellate Division later overturned a significant penalty in the case, questioning its merits.
Further context provided in the notes draws parallels between the alleged actions of James's office and the Trump administration's use of the Justice Department. Wiesenfeld's email reportedly mentioned the Hewlett Packard merger with Juniper Networks, a deal initially blocked by the Trump DOJ before being approved, which James and other state attorneys general had challenged.
Sam Antar, a forensic accountant, is quoted as saying that James's office "started with a target and went looking for a crime," a process he described as "deeply unethical, if not illegal."