They are trying to destroy Attorney General Letitia "Tish" James.
They need to think twice about this, because we the people are having none of it!
As a constituent, neighbor and fellow alumnus of Howard University Law School, I know exactly what this attack on James is: a desperate move by a lawless regime, and it has crossed the line. The news of her federal indictment is not a shock. It is the inevitable, contemptible act of an unqualified, corrupt president obsessed with revenge. This is a nakedly politically-motivated prosecution driven against one of the few people who dared to hold that regime accountable.
Let’s be clear: This indictment has nothing to do with justice. This is tyranny.
This meritless case was engineered by the most morally bankrupt federal attorney general in the history of the United States of America, Pam Bondi, and a compromised Department of Justice. They fired or sidelined anyone who refused to push through this desecration of justice until they found someone willing to carry the water of the corrupt Trump regime.
Erik Siebert, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was forced out of his position for refusing to bring the meritless charges against James. That did not matter to a regime determined to settle a political score. James is now facing threats to her life and her freedom entirely because she stood up against the racism, cruelty, and tyranny of Donald Trump and his minions.
The attorney general's work—the work that made her a target—is defined by its success in challenging privilege and power. The federal indictment is a desperate attempt to erase her record, a record built on protecting ordinary New Yorkers:
- She successfully dissolved the fraudulent Trump Foundation and initiated the huge civil fraud case that proved the Trump Organization routinely misstated its assets. She proved that no person or entity, regardless of political profile, is above the law. This success is the primary reason for her indictment.
- She fought rampant deed theft—scam artists stealing homes from the elderly—resulting in a new state law that treats these predators as felons, protecting Black and brown communities from systematic theft.
- She secured the recovery of billions of dollars from opioid manufacturers, forcing them to pay for the epidemic they fueled in our neighborhoods.
- She sued the federal government to block attacks on social services and prevent the withholding of billions in transportation funding meant for our subways and roads.
The attack on James is not isolated; it fits into a disgusting, targeted pattern of political venom aimed specifically at powerful Black women leaders.
- The Trump regime attempted to illegally fire the only Black woman serving as a governor on the Federal Reserve Board, Dr. Lisa Cook, but was temporarily blocked by the courts.
- The first Black woman serving as the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, was illegally removed.
- Despite daily, violent threats against her life, this administration removed Secret Service protection from former Vice President Kamala Harris.
While James is being politically indicted for doing her job, some members of the New York City Congressional Delegation, including leadership figures like Hakeem Jeffries, could not even find the courage to take a principled stand on a simple House resolution honoring the racist, misogynist and hateful Charlie Kirk.
The contrast is clear: James is standing up against tyranny and risking her life and liberty, while many of our other elected officials are prioritizing money and political convenience.
We, the people, can not let this perversion of justice stand. We have a moral duty to stand with the person who has tirelessly stood with us. James is owed nothing less than our fierce, total defense.
It is time to be louder, bolder and more unified than ever before. We must flood all social media and political channels with our unified opposition to this attack on James. And let our collective voices and actions become a shield for her against this lawless administration.
The strength of Brooklyn is our courage, and Tish James is a shining example of this courage for all of us. Let our words and our actions match her energy by letting her know that we have her back.
Reginald Richardson, a Brooklyn resident, is a constituent of New York's 8th Congressional District.
