The political firestorm surrounding New York Attorney General Letitia James has intensified following her successful fraud case against former President Donald Trump. As the first Black woman elected to statewide office in New York, James faces unprecedented personal and professional attacks that many Black leaders argue represent a disturbing pattern of racial targeting.
I’ve spent the past week speaking with civil rights leaders, legal experts, and political strategists who express growing concern about the nature of criticism directed at James. The backlash has moved beyond legitimate legal disagreement into territory that feels deeply personal and, to many observers, racially motivated.
“What we’re witnessing goes far beyond standard political disagreement,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, during our phone conversation Tuesday. “When critics focus on her appearance, question her intelligence, or suggest she’s merely a puppet for others, they’re tapping into historical stereotypes used to diminish Black women in positions of authority.”
The $355 million judgment against Trump’s business empire represented a significant legal victory for James, who campaigned partly on investigating Trump’s business practices. Court documents revealed systematic inflation of asset values to secure favorable loan terms and tax benefits, practices Judge Arthur Engoron deemed fraudulent.
Trump’s response has been characteristically personal. On social media and at rallies, he’s labeled James “corrupt,” “incompetent,” and used language that civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump described to me as “barely-veiled racial coding.” Several prominent right-wing commentators have echoed these attacks, with some questioning her qualifications despite her Georgetown Law degree and extensive legal career.
Data from the NYU Center for Social Media Analysis shows attacks against James increased 340% following the verdict announcement, with approximately 28% containing language that researchers categorized as racially charged or gendered.
Dr. Melanye Price, professor of political science at Prairie View A&M University, explained the broader context during our extended interview. “Black women in positions of authority often face this double-edged sword of racism and sexism. Their authority is questioned, their competence undermined, and their motives scrutinized in ways their white counterparts simply don’t experience.”
This pattern extends beyond James. Research from the American Bar Association found Black women attorneys report experiencing discrimination at rates significantly higher than their white colleagues, with 70% reporting they’ve been mistaken for support staff or court personnel.
The criticism raises important questions about how society responds to Black women exercising legitimate authority. Former prosecutor and legal analyst Paul Butler told me, “There’s legitimate space to debate the legal merits of any case, including this one. But when criticism consistently relies on stereotypes or suggests James is somehow unqualified or politically motivated in ways other prosecutors aren’t, we need to examine those double standards.”
Several legal experts I consulted emphasized that James followed standard legal procedures throughout the investigation. “The evidence was evaluated by a judge following established legal standards,” said Columbia Law professor Katherine Shaw. “Disagreeing with the outcome is one thing, but suggesting the process itself was corrupt simply doesn’t align with the factual record.”
What makes this backlash particularly striking is how it contrasts with public responses to other prosecutors pursuing cases against Trump. While all have faced criticism, the intensity and personal nature of attacks against James stand apart.
The controversy highlights America’s ongoing struggle with race and gender in positions of power. A recent Pew Research study found 61% of Black women reported facing discrimination based on both race and gender in professional settings, compared to 24% of white women.
James herself has maintained professional focus despite the attacks. When I reached her office for comment, spokesperson Regina Thompson provided a statement: “Attorney General James remains focused on upholding the rule of law and ensuring no one operates above it, regardless of wealth, power or status.”
Community leaders across New York have rallied behind James. “This isn’t just about one case or one official,” said Rev. Al Sharpton during a community forum I attended in Harlem last weekend. “It’s about whether we can truly have equal justice when those administering it face such blatant attempts at delegitimization based on who they are.”
As political tensions remain high approaching the 2024 election, the treatment of James presents a concerning backdrop. It serves as a reminder that even as America makes progress in representation, the backlash against that progress can reveal persistent biases many hoped were diminishing.
For many Black women in leadership positions watching this unfold, the message feels troublingly familiar. As Dr. Price concluded in our conversation, “The question isn’t whether Letitia James can handle this pressure – she clearly can. The question is why she has to face these particular kinds of attacks at all.”
