NAACP Rallies Behind Letitia James Despite Federal Charges

The NAACP staged a rally in Brooklyn on Sunday to show support for New York Attorney General Letitia James who only days earlier was arraigned on federal fraud charges.

James, facing accusations of bank fraud to which she has pleaded not guilty, attempted to rally her base at the First Baptist Church in Crown Heights by casting herself as a fighter.

“I want to thank all of you for having my back because I didn’t elect a king and I don’t bow to a king,” she told the crowd.

James painted herself as the victim of political retaliation.

“Powerful people in Washington are seeking to silence truth; they’re seeking to punish decent and to weaponize justice for political gain,” she claimed, ignoring the charges she pleaded not guilty to earlier this month.

The event drew union leaders, community activists, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. One supporter declared, “we will stand with Tish James until these baseless charges are dismissed, and justice is served,” before adding, “she’s Brooklyn’s dream and Donald Trump’s worst nightmare.”

James went further, telling attendees the prosecution is part of a broader assault on democracy.

“What we’ve got to do is vote, what we gotta do is vote to people about what’s at stake, what we’ve got to do is make sure to bring an army of people to the poll sites and let them know hands off Tish James,” she urged.

Despite her defiant rhetoric, James is entering a lengthy legal battle while insisting she will remain in office. Her next court date is scheduled for January 2026.

For critics, the rally underscored the troubling spectacle of a sitting attorney general under federal indictment trying to rally political allies. Instead of restoring confidence in her office, James leaned heavily on partisan applause lines and claims of persecution, raising questions about her credibility as New York’s top law enforcement officer.

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NAACP Rallies Behind Letitia James Despite Federal Charges