| FACEBOOK.COM/ COURTESY: MELISSA SKLARZ I know theres some good staff and some good people; Im just not seeing a lot of movement on taking on the financial influence in New York, he said at the time. As a council member, she passed the Safe Housing Act, legislation that forced landlords to improve living conditions for tenants in New York Citys worst buildings. Will never be treated fairly by these people - a total double standard of justice.. Her Campaign was suspended on December 9, 2021, choosing instead to run for re-election as Attorney General. Bottom: James, then New York Public Advocate, speaks with New York Gov. Gun violence continues to be a pressing issue in our city. But James refused to go along with it. Its also reflected in her resistance to glad-handing and grandstanding. Lives are often lost to senseless gun-related incidents, and it is our shared responsibility to take action to prevent further tragedies. When Bloomberg, joined by many Brooklyn political leaders, supported the construction of a new arena to attract the New Jersey Nets basketball franchise exciting local fans and the business community alike by bringing the National Basketball Association to the borough James objected to the use of eminent domain to take her constituents property. With her election as Attorney General, she became the first woman in New York to be elected as Attorney General, the first African-American woman to be elected to statewide office, and the first African American to serve as Attorney General. True to her word, she led or joined at least 76 challenges against the Trump administration, on consumer, investor, environmental protection, and immigration issues. At a time of record change and growth in New York City, Jim Oddo will bring trusted leadership and steady management to the Department of Buildings, said New York Attorney General Letitia James. Gun violence continues to devastate our communities and has caused so many avoidable tragedies and deaths, said Attorney General James. 2023 I think as a councilperson and as public advocate, she was one of the most aggressive, outspoken people on many of the progressive priorities across the city.. BRONX New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that 70 firearms were turned in at a community gun buyback event hosted by her office and the New York City Police Department (NYPD). And she would say, You know, Im not great. Letitia James was born on 18 October 1958 in the United States to her parents,Nellie and Letitia Tish James is the 67th Attorney General for the state of New York. Letitia James is the first member of the Working Families Party to win office in New York State, and the first third-party member to be elected to the city council since 1977. Its important that I be reminded about the pain and the struggle of New Yorkers. That perspective traveled quietly among Democratic circles during the first two years of her tenure, but James, in her January interview with POLITICO, offered a tantalizing clue that things were about to change. Letitia's primary source of income is being a politician and lawyer. She promised protesters in an emotional address to change the narrative for communities where its easier to get a gun than a piece of fruit., It was important for me to be there to talk to individuals, to talk to the family, and to relate to them, she said during the January interview. She has no children to date and is living a single life and fulfilling her duties.. Her investigation has now put her in the spotlight for better or worse, said Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime Democratic political consultant. Suddenly, she was a statewide figure, only the second person of color to be elected as such. Letitia James said investigations into 20 separate nursing homes whose reported conduct during the first wave of the pandemic presented particular concern would continue for the foreseeable future. We were proud to partner with Attorney General Letitia James this weekend, as part of her statewide initiative that helped reduce the number of guns that can fall into the wrong hands. | Learn more about the Office of the New York State Attorney General, or view our previous Year in Review. In the event that the posture of our case changes, and if it involves any conduct as it involves Donald Trump as president and or as a private citizen, he would certainly be called in to testify, she said. And the tension between Governor Cuomo and I, if there is any tension, we keep it between the two of us.. Including Todays Landmark Event, AG James Has Taken More Than 7,000Firearms Out of New York Communities Since 2019. Before serving as Attorney General, Letitia James was the public advocate for the City of New York. He was constantly worried about what we were doing. Or do you not have enough juice to get a water fountain fixed?, Jamess response in January to Loesers recollection? WebLetitia James is a famous American lawyer and politician. It wasnt a question of whether the offices many veteran attorneys were covering the offices bread and butter duties (decidedly less sexy work like auto insurance fraud and defending the state in regular lawsuits), said Amy Spitalnick, who was a communications director for Schneiderman and continued on in that role and as a senior policy advisor when Underwood took over. Letitia James is a famous American lawyer, activist, and politician member of the Democratic Party and Attorney General of New York. Mark Peterson/Redux, James herself puts it this way: I am my own person and I have my own personality. Antitrust is a space where New York could lead, she said, but has not yet been at the forefront of the states agenda. With Cuomos backing, James defeated liberal law professor Zephyr Teachout to claim the Democratic Partys nomination and went on to win easily in the general election that November, becoming Schneidermans permanent successor. Thank you to everyone who made this happen.. from the City University of New Yorks Lehman College in 1981, majoring in liberal arts with an emphasis on social work. Letitia does not have any children Letitia James siblings To their surprise and the governors the 76-page report was frank in its tone and clear in its assessment that the way the Cuomo administration tallied Covid-19 deaths in state nursing homes served to mask the true toll. Office of the New York State Attorney General. She is 64 years old. She has since changed back to the Democratic party. And I will say, on the record, that I frankly was concerned about Jamess closeness with the governor, and I was very impressed that she stood up to him there. A post shared by New York AG Letitia James (@newyorkstateag). President or not, our investigation will continue and if we uncover criminal conduct, that will change the posture of our case. Letitia James was born on 1958 October 18, in Brooklyn, New York. Now she is on notice, too, he said. But youre not going to be out front on them., I think thats now going to shift, the official added. AP Photo/Kathy Willens. But what I will say: Shes always been driven, and I havent seen much difference from her [since becoming attorney general].. Letitia James was sworn in as attorney general on January 1, 2019, succeeding Barbara Underwood, who was first appointed after the resignation of Eric Schneiderman. There is evidence to support that interpretation: In recent months, she has sued the National Rifle Association in an effort to dissolve it entirely and the New York City Police Department, calling its chaotic handling of Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality last summer a civil rights offense. In that 2003 race James officially became a member of the Working Families Party, and was the first citywide office-holder to run solely on the WFP line. WebLetitia Tish James is the 67th Attorney General for the state of New York. So was she watching the impeachment vote? By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. In May 2013, with a group that included construction unions, community groups and other elected officials, she was a part of an Article 78 lawsuit against the Bloomberg administration and Acadia Realty Trust seeking the shut-down of the City Point real estate project and a reassessment of its environmental impact. Including the guns turned in at the Brooklyn event, Attorney General James securedmore than 3,000guns today alone from across the state. With decades of experience and a long record of achievements, she is a powerful, effective attorney and lifelong public servant. She is the first African-American and first woman to be elected to the position. : Yes, I used to have an office on the steps to City Hall. New York state Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil fraud lawsuit on Wednesday against former President Donald Trump, three of his children and a pair of Before her election to the City Council, Letitia James was head of the Brooklyn Regional Office of the New York State Attorney Generals Office. Office of the New York State Attorney General. Here in the community, shes still Tish, and a credit to her that shes been able to keep that balance that many have not been able to do., A year ago, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. New Yorks attorney general was long regarded as the governors close ally. So I will not be in my white ivory tower. That was a really powerful moment. Though New York City elected officials frequently have trouble winning statewide, her anti-Trump message, along with a warm endorsement from the powerful, soon-to-be three-term governor, was enough to make her the first Black person to serve as New Yorks top law-enforcement officer. Serving as public advocate gave her a chance to develop compelling oratory to complement her on-the-ground rapport with advocates. Letitia James is active on social media like Facebook and Instagram. Mark Lennihan-Pool/Getty Images, On the day she was inaugurated, she faced blowback for taking credit for a New York Times series on homelessness, a claim debunked by the Times, which said shed played no role in the story. And at a key moment, Schneiderman failed to exercise that independence, Teachout said. Signup for our Hollywood and pop culture newsletter. There is no question that they both have the knowledge and background necessary to lead this investigation and provide New Yorkers with the answers they deserve.. James is investigating the Trump Organization over allegations that it misrepresented the values of some of the companys properties to obtain loans and tax breaks. Back in 2018, Zephyr Teachout based her campaign against James in part on her closeness to the establishment which meant Cuomo. She founded the Urban Network, which is a coalition of African American professional organizations to provide scholarships to young people. And now James is overseeing a probe that could determine whether Cuomo keeps his job. On the other hand, one of her brothers was arrested unjustly for the crime that he did not commit. Letitia Jamess salary per month with other career earnings is over $1.5 million annually. During her tenure as public advocate, her office passed more legislation than all previous public advocates combined, including a groundbreaking law that banned questions about salary history from the employment process to address the pervasive gender wage gap. Letitia James was a candidate in the 2022 New York gubernatorial election. During the last weekend of February, after two women came forward alleging inappropriate behavior soon to be joined by four more Cuomo acknowledged that an investigation into his conduct was warranted, even as he maneuvered to avoid having James oversee the probe. Following Daviss death, his brother Geoffrey ran for his vacant Council seat on the Democratic Party ticket, but on election day, November 4, 2003, Geoffrey A. Davis lost by a large margin to James as the Working Families Party nominee. Three weeks after the AGs report, the Albany Times-Union revealed an ongoing joint investigation by the FBI and the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, examining how Governor Andrew Cuomos coronavirus task force played a role in nursing homes COVID-19 response. James was a nominee in the 2022 New York gubernatorial election. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. Attorney General James's leadership has been critical to New York's success in fighting gun violence, but there is more work to do. And I think because of that shes been able to maneuver the political world and the elected official world, and being around the New York City media market in a very intense way. People who knew James before her time as attorney general amounting to more than two dozen friends, critics and political observers said that her low-key posture is more a matter of style than substance. At times, critics have asserted James has seemed caught between those complaints and liberals demands for quicker action, animated by the fear that Trumps business dealings with prominent New Yorkers with Democratic ties might shield him from scrutiny. She has no husband and is currently single. We have a crisis of inaction among Democratic elected officials, said Jed Shugerman, a Fordham law professor, author and co-writer on amicus briefs challenging the Trump administration. But it was a vitally important signal about the profound need for reform within the NYPD and hopefully heralds a new aggressiveness from her office on critical challenges, he said in January. I would also like to thank the Attorney General for her continued efforts to It doesnt necessarily matter what Jamess intentions in releasing the nursing-home report may have been, said several current and former Cuomo aides, having watched the scandal snowball amid demands for a federal probe and threats of a primary challenge to the once-invincible governor. Letitia James net When someone does that, you dont take them out with a machine gun.. I will be on the ground with the people always and forever. The probe released its first report on both the nursing homes and the state Department of Health (DOH) on January 28, 2021, where it concluded that the DOHs public data under-counted nursing home deaths by up to 50 percent.