New York Governor Kathy Hochul has remained silent after repeated inquiries asking whether she still believes “no one is above the law,” a phrase she has invoked numerous times when referring to President Donald Trump’s legal battles, as reported by Fox News.
The governor’s silence follows the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James on federal charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
A grand jury in Virginia indicted James on Thursday after a criminal referral earlier this year from Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte, who alleged that James falsified mortgage documents to secure favorable loans.
She now faces charges of bank fraud and false statements related to financial institutions.
Following the indictment, Hochul expressed support for James on social media. “New Yorkers know @NewYorkStateAGJames for her integrity, her independence, and her relentless fight for justice,” Hochul wrote on X.
“What we’re seeing today is nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.”
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan, announcing the charges, stated: “No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust.”
This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year
The statement from federal prosecutors mirrored the same language Hochul once used when celebrating court actions against President Trump.
In 2019, during Trump’s first impeachment, Hochul declared, “It’s really quite simple — NO ONE is above the law. Not now, not ever.” She praised House Democrats for their “patriotic duty” to hold Trump accountable.
Throughout Trump’s presidency and subsequent legal battles, Hochul frequently commented on ongoing cases, including the 2023 civil fraud trial launched by James.
At that time, Hochul said, “His conduct has been a disgrace, and I have full confidence that Donald Trump will be held accountable for his actions.”
After Trump’s 2024 criminal conviction in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records, Hochul released a statement repeating, “Today’s verdict reaffirms that no one is above the law.”
Now, following James’s indictment, Hochul’s office has declined to answer questions about whether that same standard applies to the state’s top law enforcement official. Fox News Digital reported that Hochul’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
James’s indictment adds to years of political tension between her office and Trump. James campaigned in 2018 on a promise to “hold Donald Trump accountable” and later pursued dozens of lawsuits against him and his administration.
She continued to challenge the Trump Organization and publicly vowed to oppose his policies after his re-election in 2024.
Trump has long accused Democratic officials of “weaponizing” the justice system against him, a point he emphasized again in January before his return to the White House. “They’re playing with the courts. It’s called lawfare, it’s called weaponization of justice,” Trump said.
Hochul, who previously celebrated Trump’s convictions as proof that “justice is blind,” has yet to address whether she stands by that belief now that her ally, Attorney General James, faces federal criminal charges.
The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.
Read the full article here
