New York Attorney General Letitia James delivered an impassioned speech Monday night in support of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in her first public appearance since her federal indictment last week.
“He is a leader fighting for a better future for this city, and he, like me, knows what it’s like to be attacked, to be called names, to be threatened, to be harassed," James said of Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, ahead of next month's general election.
"I see the courage that is embodied in Zohran, and that's why I am supporting him," she said.
James spoke at the campaign rally in Washington Heights less than a week after a federal grand jury in Virginia indicted her on fraud charges tied to a mortgage loan. The case was brought by Lindsey Halligan, the acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, who was once one of President Donald Trump's personal attorneys. Weeks earlier, Trump pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media to prosecute James and other political opponents of his.
James, who has denied wrongdoing, did not mention Trump by name on Monday, but she put forward a forceful rebuttal to the charges against her, saying “powerful voices” are trying to "weaponize justice for political gain.”
"I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job. But I also know what it feels like to overcome adversity, and so I stand on solid rock, and I will not bow. I will not break. I will not bend. I will not capitulate. I won’t give up, and I won’t give in," she said.
Mamdani appeared to refer to the court battles awaiting James.
“Thank you to the elected officials, labor and movement leaders here with us tonight, and thank you to New York’s attorney general, Tish James. For years, you have fought the good fight for New Yorkers, and now it’s our time to fight for you,” he said.
James and Mamdani are both prominent Trump critics who also have been his frequent targets.
Trump has called Mamdani a "communist" and questioned his immigration status. In July, he suggested arresting Mamdani if, as mayor, he defies Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation efforts.
James has also been caught in Trump's crosshairs, particularly after she secured a nearly $500 million judgment against him and his companies before he was elected to a second term last year. A New York appeals court later tossed out the civil fraud penalty.
The biggest opponent facing Mamdani in next month's election is former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whom he defeated in June's Democratic primary. Cuomo later launched an independent bid for mayor.
James was an outspoken critic of Cuomo before she launched her own unsuccessful bid for governor four years ago. Following an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Cuomo that led to his resignation in 2021, James' office issued a report that found that Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 11 women. He has denied the allegations.
