The Perils of Trophy Fishing

Jonathan Turley:
New York Attorney General Letitia James is going to need a bigger fish or a smaller trophy wall.

For months, James has paraded her victory over President Donald Trump in her civil judgment of half a billion dollars. It did not matter that many of us denounced the judgment as grotesque and raw lawfare.

Now, however, the appellate court has replaced that mounted Marlin with a mere minnow. It threw out the financial penalty as unconstitutional and unwarranted.

Even that downsized catch may have to be pulled down, since Trump can appeal the decision to leave the injunctive relief — including limits on doing business in New York — in place.

The problem is that this over-stuffed guppy has cost the people of New York tens of millions of dollars in staff, security and other costs. It was all just the cost of doing business with James, who ran on the pledge to bag Trump on something — anything! — if elected.

For James, it was worth it. For her base, the case was never about the merits or the law. James offered lawfare against political opponents, and New York Democrats elected her with a gleeful malice. MORE