Lawyers representing President-elect Donald Trump are asking New York Attorney General Letitia James to drop the civil fraud case against him, his family, and his businesses, arguing that doing so would be in the “greater good of the country.”
In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Trump’s attorney, D. John Sauer, requested that James dismiss the case entirely and vacate the civil fraud judgment, which ordered Trump to pay $454 million. Trump has appealed the ruling, and New York’s appeals court judges have shown some openness to possibly reversing the judgment.
Sauer, in his letter, referred to Trump’s “historic election victory” and noted the president-elect’s call for national unity, hoping to end the partisan divisions that have been heightened by ongoing legal battles. He described the cases against Trump as a “flashpoint of national partisan division,” emphasizing the need for this division to end for the country’s well-being.
Sauer, who has experience as a legal advisor and has been nominated for Solicitor General of the United States in Trump’s upcoming administration, argued that the ongoing legal challenges had contributed to deepening the country’s partisan rift. He said that ending the “strife and lawfare” is necessary for the health of the nation.
This request follows a series of legal successes for Trump, with victories such as Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request being granted to dismiss one of his cases related to the 2020 election. Trump’s legal team, led by senior adviser Boris Epshteyn, also saw success when a judge dismissed charges in the classified records case earlier this year.
Sauer pointed to similar developments in other legal cases involving Trump, including those in New York, urging the court to dismiss the charges, as Judge Juan Merchan had allowed Trump to file a motion to dismiss charges in a separate case with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He also noted that the statute of limitations bars any claims in James’ case.
