# NY AG Letitia James drops the (civil) hammer {On Trump & Family} \[9/21/2022\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [September 21, 2022, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991 "2022-09-21T16:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 49
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/962 "2023-11-03T21:33:39Z")
The Dope being The Dope … It doesn’t appear that Engoron said anything of that sort. It seems more like the specific line that made headlines was snark, generated by MSNBC host, Katie Phang, in a ‘**[tweet](https://twitter.com/KatiePhang/status/1720279843684626507)**’ To which (Psychologist, author, DJT’s niece) Mary Trump replied: > Or a husband? That’s gonna’ leave a mark. ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/963 "2023-11-03T21:43:21Z")
The judge got tired of the lawyers continuing to bad mouth his clerk, so he expanded his gag order to include trump’s lawyers, as well. > **[Judge in Trump’s civil fraud trial expands gag order to include the former...](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/judge-trumps-civil-fraud-trial-expands-gag-order-include-former-presid-rcna123587)** > > Judge Arthur Engoron issued the order after he said they falsely accused his principal law clerk of "bias against them and of improperly influencing the ongoing bench trial.” ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/964 "2023-11-03T21:48:37Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Or, she might just say screw it, and go with the A Fish Called Wanda tactic. So it seems [Mary Trump thinks I might be right!](https://newrepublic.com/post/176625/ivanka-trump-forced-testify-fraud-trial) (same link as posted above, but I like this bit!) > Ivanka is likely to be less coy about her father’s business dealings, according to Mary, who believes that the heiress will “tell the truth and throw him under the bus,” since she’s “legitimately wealthy” without her father and doesn’t need to rely on him. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/965 "2023-11-03T21:58:08Z")
Honestly, it’s really hard for me to imagine that they’ll get anything useful out of Ivanka. She can spew an endless stream of non-responsive answers, like her brothers, without having to take the 5th, and give them nothing in the end. AFAIK, there’s no current legal jeopardy for her, though Alvin Bragg has been awfully quiet. It’s just hard to imagine what leverage the NY AG has on her for this process, and/or what she would see as the upside for her in giving responses that could genuinely harm her family. She **[dodged a bullet](https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-york-ags-250m-suit-trump-organization-judge/story?id=100420423)** when the Statute of Limitations had run out on _her_ active involvement in the company. I’m just not sure what else they have that could imperil her. Maybe the potential criminal issues carry longer Statutes of Limitations?? ETA: > [@MulderMuffin](#): > > The judge got tired of the lawyers continuing to bad mouth his clerk, so he expanded his gag order to include trump’s lawyers, as well. > > [Judge in Trump’s civil fraud trial expands gag order to include the former president’s lawyers](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/judge-trumps-civil-fraud-trial-expands-gag-order-include-former-presid-rcna123587) Trump attorneys, Chris Kise and Alina Habba report having “been **[unfailingly polite](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexternal-preview.redd.it%2FrHtaSK6_CU7fjJBVBJCm-R5cMtu6XjIiy23wG4_iLFo.jpg%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26s%3D83cc963e7c497442573b87abb20569065345796c)**.” ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/966 "2023-11-03T23:16:07Z")
I can’t find a cite, but I saw Eric make a statement after court today in which he said lots of blah-blah things, but the thing that stood out to me was his claim that AG Letitia James sends out a fund raising email every day after court. I was practically sputtering at the Television. I mean, has he met his father? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/967 "2023-11-03T23:28:19Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > why does she need a babysitter? she has a husband and the children have a father, this is a double parent household. the kids are 12-7 ish. it is for their own protection, to minimize the deleterious effects of spending any significant time in the company of those two ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/968 "2023-11-03T23:32:17Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > She **[dodged a bullet](https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-york-ags-250m-suit-trump-organization-judge/story?id=100420423)** when the Statute of Limitations had run out on _her_ active involvement in the company. And I anticipate that her testimony is going to hew to the constant notion that she “can’t recall that far back”, was perpetually “unwinding her involvement”, and is “no longer involved”. She won’t throw her family under the bus when she can avoid it. There’s no benefit to do anything other than try to deflect responsibility the same way all trumps do. (The family seems to think they are _winning_ by placing all accountability on their staff. Since they’re already liable, that isn’t advancing any sort of defense. I don’t really understand how it demonstrates power to the eager voters, either. I guess, to dumb people, this appears to be “cunning”). ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/969 "2023-11-03T23:56:18Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I was practically sputtering at the Television. I mean, has he met his father? It’s been their practice for years: Whatever they are accusing others of doing is what they themselves are doing. I thought everyone had tumbled to this by now. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/970 "2023-11-04T00:11:32Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > She **[dodged a bullet](https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-york-ags-250m-suit-trump-organization-judge/story?id=100420423)** when the Statute of Limitations had run out on _her_ active involvement in the company. I’m just not sure what else they have that could imperil her. Yes, but a perjury charge would put her back in the crosshairs. Safest and easiest way to avoid that is to just tell the truth, with no funny business. This is her chance to be shut of the rest of her family. She knows better than any of us how compromised they are, and this may be her way to slither away (legally) consequence-free. She’s already got the money, so what else could she want? A decent relationship with her father? It is to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/971 "2023-11-04T00:13:03Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Safest and easiest way to avoid that is to just tell the truth, with no funny business. Saying nothing would be even safer. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/972 "2023-11-04T00:13:13Z")
ETA: @Horatius two posts up. 'Zactly. One last giant F\*\*\* you all as she flounces off into the sunset implicating all of them in everything and laughing all the way to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/973 "2023-11-04T00:16:00Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > consequence-free _Great Big Sea_ sang about that; she could take it as the theme song. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uGp9bnDm0n0/hqdefault.jpg "Great Big Sea - Consequence Free") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGp9bnDm0n0) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/974 "2023-11-04T00:17:40Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Saying nothing would be even safer. But that leaves her enmeshed in their bullshit. Remember how she and her husband have spent the last few years staying out of Trump’s politically motivated bullshit? I think she’s done with him, and doesn’t want to be drawn back into it. Avoiding testifying might have let her stay on the outskirts, but if she testifies, and puts any effort at all into covering for him, even to the extent of just refusing to answer, that pulls her back in. Rat him out, and he’ll push her out, which is what I suspect she wants. Her idiot brothers are still entirely dependent upon daddy for their money, but she isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/975 "2023-11-04T00:21:44Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > _Great Big Sea_ sang about that; she could take it as the theme song. I’m a great big fan, but yeah, in retrospect, that hasn’t aged well. Still a banging tune, though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/976 "2023-11-04T00:28:03Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Yes, but a perjury charge would put her back in the crosshairs. Safest and easiest way to avoid that is to just tell the truth, with no funny business. This feels right. I think she will do absolutely nothing that will place her in any legal jeopardy, now that she can sniff freedom. She won’t lie under oath, though if she can plausibly say she doesn’t recall, I suppose she would. I’m hoping they have additional emails to help jog her memory. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/977 "2023-11-04T02:43:02Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > (The family seems to think they are _winning_ by placing all accountability on their staff. Since they’re already liable, that isn’t advancing any sort of defense. I don’t really understand how it demonstrates power to the eager voters, either. I guess, to dumb people, this appears to be “cunning”). I believe they’re terrified and all their talk about winning is so much bluster rather than delusion. Although in honesty I sometimes wonder just how much of their own words they believe. I don’t know if there was every a point where the Trump’s were interested in actually winning these cases on their own merits, but if there were I think that ship sailed long, long ago. In this particular case, the judge has already ruled the Trump Organization committed fraud. i.e. The Trump’s have already lost. Their only strategy at this point is for Trump to win the 2024 presidential election. I don’t know how exactly that helps in the Georgia case, more opportunities to grift and get back at his enemies in New York, but winning the election is his only hope of any kind of salvation. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/978 "2023-11-04T08:46:13Z")
Oh, I’ve tumbled to it, but it’s no less angering to see it happen in front of my eyes. I immediately think about Trump and his claims of “Only the mob takes the 5th” and then he takes the 5th, but it’s okay when he does it because he’s being persecuted. It’s just frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/979 "2023-11-04T11:11:11Z")
She got to him. trump finally couldn’t take it anymore, and Twitted about James “sitting on her ass” behind him. Is this guy ever going to go away? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/980 "2023-11-04T11:43:44Z")
He’s such an idiot. (understatement of the century) On what else would one sit? ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991/981 "2023-11-04T12:09:36Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Twitted about James “sitting on her ass” behind him. And if she weren’t seated behind him, he’d find something else to complain about. Can you imagine if she weren’t in the courtroom? “Old Peekaboo thinks she has better things to do with her time than do her job, which is persecuting me. Probably sleeping late, the lazy slob” bbbyyy [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-ag-letitia-james-drops-the-civil-hammer-on-trump-family-9-21-2022/971991.md?page=50)