Trump sues NY Attorney General Letitia James for 'intimidation'

Donald Trump accuses New York Attorney General Letitia James of waging a 'crusade' against him

Donald Trump has sued New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of conducting a "war of intimidation and harassment" against him.

It follows a lawsuit that Ms James launched against Mr Trump and three of his children last September, accusing them of fraud committed over a decade.

Mr Trump, a Republican, has long accused the Democrat of abusing her position for political gain.

The former president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

In the latest lawsuit - which was filed to the Florida State Circuit Court - Mr Trump accused Ms James of "a relentless, pernicious, public and unapologetic crusade" against him and the Trump Organization.

He also alleges that the attorney general's own case against him is a "plot" to obtain control of his business that began as a "cartoonish, thinly-veiled effort to publicly malign" the former president.

On his Truth Social social media account, he added that, if he were "not leading in the polls by substantial margins against both Democrats and Republicans, this would not be happening".

• How big are Trump's legal problems?

• Who is NY prosecutor and Trump foe Letitia James?

In a statement, a spokesman for Ms James's office said that "no number of lawsuits will deter" New York's case against Mr Trump.

"We sued Donald Trump because he committed extensive financial fraud," the statement said. "That fact hasn't changed, and neither will our resolve to ensure that no matter how powerful or political one might be, no one is above the law."

Mr Trump's lawsuit is the latest twist in a long-running feud between Mr Trump and Ms James, who - on the night she was elected in 2018 - vowed to shine "a bright light" on his real estate dealings.

Mr Trump, for his part, has accused her of conducting a "witch hunt" and branded Ms James - the first black woman to be New York's attorney general - a "racist".

In another development on Thursday, a New York judge ordered that an independent watchdog must be appointed to "ensure there is no further fraud" at the Trump Organization before the attorney general's lawsuit goes to trial.

The move limits the company's ability to make deals, change its corporate structure and prevents it from selling or transferring any non-cash assets without giving the court and Ms James' office 14 days notice.