New York Daily News

Stefanik files complaint vs. Tish over Don case

- BY DAVID MATTHEWS

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik on Tuesday filed a bar complaint against Attorney General Letitia James, alleging she violated the rules of profession­al conduct with a biased investigat­ion and prosecutio­n of former President Donald Trump.

James sued Trump in 2022, alleging he falsely inflated his net worth on a number of financial statements to get better bank loans or insurance policies.

Stefanik (photo), who accused James of making dozens of “highly inappropri­ate and prejudicia­l comments on social media,” is calling for James to be suspended while the Attorney Grievance Committee conducts an investigat­ion. She’s ultimately seeking to have James disbarred.

Lawyers accused of misconduct can face a number of punishment­s, including probation, suspension or disbarment, according to the American Bar Associatio­n.

“It has been her explicit mission since she announced her run for office to go after President Trump,” Stefanik said in a statement. “Such behavior not only undermines the integrity of the legal process but also violated the Rules of Profession­al Conduct to which James, as a licensed attorney, is bound.”

“Her conduct not only constitute­s a breach of her profession­al responsibi­lities but also risks irreparabl­e harm to the public’s already eroding trust in our legal institutio­ns,” her statement continued.

Stefanik has also filed multiple ethics complaints against judges associated with cases against Trump or the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — including Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing Trump’s civil fraud case and once issued a gag order on Trump after the former president publicly disparaged a law clerk.

Earlier this month, Stefanik said she “would not have done what Mike Pence did” on Jan. 6, seemingly indicating she would not have certified the 2020 presidenti­al election, as the former vice president did, and would have tossed out electoral votes from certain states that had voted for Biden. She is considered a potential pick as Trump’s running mate in the upcoming election.

Trump is facing criminal charges related to his efforts to allegedly overturn the results of the 2020 election, how he handled classified documents and making hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence about an alleged extramarit­al tryst with Trump.

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