A prosecutor in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office says he was instructed to investigate Trump-affiliated individuals and organizations without credible cause, an allegation James’ office strongly denies.
Daniel Wiesenfeld, a former Brooklyn prosecutor now with the New York Attorney General’s Investor Protection Bureau, sent a mass email accusing his own office of ordering politically motivated investigations. The email, reportedly delivered to about 2,000 staffers and later deleted, charged that he was told to “find and pursue crimes” committed by people and groups tied to former President Donald Trump, even when there was no credible reason to do so.
Wiesenfeld’s message named names. He claimed Bureau Chief Shamiso Maswoswe had directed him to target “Trump himself, Truth Social, Hewlett Packard (DOJ approved merger)... without having a credible reason for targeting the organizations and individuals.” He went further, warning colleagues, “If you believe Trump is using the [Department of Justice] attorneys to prosecute his enemies and further his political interests, you should find it equally troubling that Tish [James] is doing exactly the same thing.”
The prosecutor’s warning was blunt: “I ask you that you not serve as Tish’s personal attorneys by targeting her political enemies. Instead, I hope you choose to prosecute crimes and find the individuals accountable, rather than targeting individuals and then finding crimes.”
Wiesenfeld also claimed the Attorney General’s Office had spent “significant public taxpayer dollars to target convenient public enemies” while ignoring “rampant nonprofit homeless shelter fraud and antisemitic crimes in and around synagogues.” He was placed on paid administrative leave shortly after sending the email.
Letitia James’ office responded with a categorical denial. In a statement, the office said, “The office of the attorney general is committed to upholding New York’s laws and protecting the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers, regardless of political beliefs. We strongly reject any assertion to the contrary.”
The Attorney General’s Office did not address the details of Wiesenfeld’s claims, nor did it release the content of the now-deleted email. The precise date of the email and the administrative leave action remain undisclosed.
Wiesenfeld’s allegations landed in the context of James’ well-known public stance on Donald Trump. During her 2018 campaign, she vowed to “prosecute the president for crimes committed in New York state” if elected. And in 2024, her office secured a $360 million civil case judgment against Trump, his sons, and his former company for allegedly overstating the value of New York properties and lying about their wealth. That case, involving the Big Apple property market, was later upheld on appeal, though the “massive financial payout” did not survive the process.
Republican voices seized on Wiesenfeld’s claims to denounce James’ leadership. New York State Republican Chairman Ed Cox told The Post, “Letitia James weaponized the attorney general’s office into a political hit squad and then tried to cover up her tracks.” He added, “She is utterly unfit to serve. New Yorkers deserve an attorney general who prosecutes criminals, preserves public records and enforces the law without fear or favor.”
Nicole Kiprilov, spokesperson for Republican attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy, echoed those criticisms: “When Saritha is attorney general, she will instruct her attorneys to lock up repeat offenders, build residential treatment for the homeless, and root out fraud, not target people because of their politics.” Kiprilov called for bipartisan reform, adding, “It’s good to see that even the rank-and-file in the AG’s office agree that this is the right way forward. Let’s work together, across partisan lines, and create a safer, more affordable New York.”
The deleted email and paid leave have left several questions unanswered. The exact date of Wiesenfeld’s email, the details of any resulting investigations, and the grounds for his administrative leave were not released. The Attorney General’s Office has not provided evidence to counter or corroborate Wiesenfeld’s claims, and the Times-Union, which reportedly obtained the email, has not published the full text for the public to review.
Still, the allegations revive long-standing concerns about the use of law enforcement power for political ends. Wiesenfeld’s charge, that the office turned “significant public taxpayer dollars to target convenient public enemies”, echoes complaints from conservatives who argue that New York’s top law enforcement office has lost sight of its duty to impartial justice.
While Letitia James ran on a promise to go after Trump, critics now point to the Wiesenfeld episode as proof that this approach has infected the office’s culture. Instead of focusing on violent crime, fraud, and antisemitic attacks, they argue, the Attorney General’s resources are being diverted to settle political scores.
Voters will have to decide whether James’ record, and her office’s handling of whistleblower claims, matches the standard of “upholding New York’s laws and protecting the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers, regardless of political beliefs,” as her office insists. The email’s deletion and the speed with which Wiesenfeld was placed on leave will only fuel those doubts for many New Yorkers.
When law enforcement is used to target political opponents, trust in our institutions erodes, and that’s a price no state should pay.
