President Donald Trump’s attorney Alina Habba has turned the tables on New York’s attorney general in court today.
Habba demanded to know why the NY AG’s office has yet to open an investigation into the spying allegations against former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
The hearing in New York today over whether Trump should be forced to sit for a deposition about his company’s finances grew contentious early.
The judge will rule later today.
“I want to know, Mr. Wallace, Ms. James, are you gonna go after Hillary Clinton for what she’s doing to my client?” Habba said, referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James and Kevin Wallace, an attorney representing her in the hearing.
“That she spied at Trump Tower in your state?
“Are you gonna look into her business dealings?”
Judge Arthur Engoron jumped in and shut down Habba’s questions about Hillary Clinton saying they were irrelevant.
“The Clintons are not before me,” he said.
But he did seem open to Habba’s argument that James’ previous statements about Trump were a problem for the prosecution.
“The only reason she is doing this is because he is a former president, and on the other side of the fence,” Habba said.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron appeared receptive to Habba’s argument.
“Do we want to have a society, a country, where someone says, ‘I’m going to get this person?’ Do we want that?” he said.
Regarding James’s pubic statements about Trump, he said, “It’s arguably a circus that she’s done.”
Wallace denied it was personal or political telling the judge:
“This was not someone who was unfamiliar to the office and who didn’t already have legal issues around fraud.
“I don’t think any of this would suggest that there was an improper motive or improper purpose.”
“The legal issues are not unique.
“The president is a citizen. He has to come in and appear just like anyone else.”
Trump family attorney Alan Futerfas said:
“The attorney general is working with the district attorney, and the district attorney has an active grand jury.
“Get his testimony, give him immunity,” Futerfas said.
Habba:
“We have to do this the right way. We have to follow the rules.”
She quotes James stating: “We’re going to be a real pain in the ass. He’s going to know my name personally.”
NYAG boasted about suing Trump, she says.
“Prosecutor misconduct,” she calls it.
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) February 17, 2022
Futerfas said if they do, James will argue to draw an adverse inference.
Engoran: “But the law allows that, you’ve admitted that, and that’s what the law is.”
Futerfas replies no adverse inference would be drawn in criminal probe, which the civil investigation effectively is.
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) February 17, 2022
