Victor Davis Hanson on Letitia James' Indictment and the Cycle of Lawfare

Letitia James' Indictment

• 📌 New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted by the federal Trump DOJ on charges related to property declarations.
• 💡 The charges stem from discrepancies in federal forms for a Maryland property, where she allegedly misdeclared its status as a principal residence versus a rental, and potentially misstated square footage and room details.
• ⚠️ An older application from 1983 also allegedly listed her father as her husband.
• ⚖️ James, as the chief law enforcement officer of New York, is statutorily required to reside in the state, with indications she may have wavered on this.

The 'Revenge Tour' Argument

• 💬 The left claims the indictment is a Trump revenge tour, suggesting it wouldn't have been pursued if not for James' past actions against Trump.
• 🎯 James ran for office explicitly on a promise to target Donald Trump, even bragging about her intent to prosecutors like Al Sharpton.
• 💥 She pursued a lawsuit against Trump that resulted in a significant settlement, which the speaker describes as an outrageous and unprecedented fine.

Double Standards and Lawfare

• 🔍 The speaker contrasts James' situation with Trump's legal battles, arguing that charges against Trump by prosecutors like Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis, and Jack Smith were politically motivated.
• 🚫 These charges, it is argued, would not have been filed if Trump were not running for president, nor would they be filed against any other politician.
• ⚖️ The speaker suggests that if Trump had aligned with Democratic views, he likely would not have been indicted, drawing a parallel to the attitude of Judge Engoron.

Accountability and Deterrence

• 🤔 The core question posed is whether to forget wrongs committed by public officials to avoid a cycle of