Letitia James Uses Rally Stage to Defy Trump, Raise Money for Legal Defense

Niagara Action
Oct 15
2 min read

New York Attorney General Letitia James made her first public appearance since being federally indicted and was met with cheers and a standing ovation at a campaign rally for Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani in Manhattan.

The rally, held Monday night at the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights, drew thousands of supporters who loudly embraced James despite the Justice Department’s charges against her. James is facing one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement connected to the purchase of a Virginia home.

In her remarks, James attempted to project strength in the face of growing legal and political challenges.

"I will not bow, I will not break, I will not bend, I will not capitulate. I will not give in. I will not give up," she declared to the crowd. “You come for me, you gotta come through all of us.”

James avoided directly naming Donald Trump, her longtime political adversary, but her comments were clearly aimed in that direction.

“I won't give up and I won't give in. So we have no time to linger and focus on pettiness and revenge. We've gotta press on, press forward, continue the journey, claim the victory ... and so I fear no man,” she told the audience.

Her appearance was quickly amplified by Mamdani, the Queens assemblyman and outspoken democratic socialist who has aligned himself with James.

“For years, you have fought the good fight for New Yorkers, and now it's our chance to fight for you,” Mamdani said.

While James dismissed the indictment as “baseless” when it was first announced, critics note the optics of the state’s chief law enforcement officer standing accused of bank fraud are troubling at best. Even more contentious is the way she and her allies have leveraged the legal trouble into a fundraising tool.

A spokesperson confirmed James’ reelection campaign pulled in roughly $1 million in donations since her indictment, much of it from first-time donors. That fundraising drive has been amplified by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who emailed her supporters urging them to “rush a donation” to James. AOC framed the charges as politically motivated and went so far as to label the fundraising appeal the “Letitia James Legal Fund.”

The push to turn a federal indictment into a financial rallying cry has drawn criticism not only from Republicans but from ethics watchdogs who question the blurred line between campaign fundraising and legal defense.

James is scheduled to appear in federal court in Virginia on October 24th.