An assistant attorney general within New York Attorney General Letitia James' office has accused the bureau chief of directing staff to "find and pursue crimes" involving former President Donald Trump and entities linked to him, according to a report by the Times Union. The allegation centers on an email purportedly sent by Assistant Attorney General Daniel Wiesenfeld, which was allegedly later deleted from the office's servers.
According to the report, Wiesenfeld's email instructed colleagues to target "Trump himself, Truth Social, Hewlett Packard (DOJ approved merger) … without having a credible reason for targeting [these] organizations and individuals." The New York Attorney General's office dismissed the claims, characterizing the incident as a personnel matter and rejecting any assertion that the office politically targets individuals.
A spokesperson for James' office stated, "This is a personnel matter. The Office of the Attorney General is committed to upholding New York’s laws and protecting the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers, regardless of political beliefs. We strongly reject any assertion to the contrary."
Following Wiesenfeld's email, James' general counsel, Kumiki Gibson, reportedly sent a subsequent email to employees, deeming the matter "internal" and assuring them that no employees were "in danger." Wiesenfeld has reportedly been placed on paid administrative leave.
The White House criticized the allegations, with a spokesperson calling it "more proof of the weaponization of the justice system by Letitia James to target President Trump and her political opponents. The far-left Democrats lawfare against President Trump, his family, and allies must stop."
Shamiso Maswoswe, the bureau chief under whom Wiesenfeld works, previously served as a trial attorney in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section from January 2016 to December 2017. Maswoswe filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Justice Department in February 2021, alleging unfair termination and discrimination based on race, pregnancy, and caregiving responsibilities. The Justice Department denied her claims, and the parties reached a settlement in 2023, with Maswoswe receiving $795,000 to resolve all claims related to her employment and lawsuit. The agreement stated the payment was a compromise of disputed claims, not an admission of wrongdoing by the DOJ.
Letitia James has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump and launched a civil fraud lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization in 2022, stemming from her campaign promises to investigate his business practices. An appeals court upheld Trump's liability in that case but voided the initial financial penalties exceeding $450 million.