Federal prosecutors have launched an investigation into financial transactions tied to New York Attorney General Letitia James and her longtime hairdresser, according to a New York Times report.
Prosecutors are reportedly interested in talking to Iyesata Marsh about past financial transactions involving James or her campaign, including payments that James' 2018 campaign for attorney general made to Marsh to rent a Brooklyn studio she owns.
They are also looking into payments to Marsh related to a musical performance at a political event in Albany, New York.
The probe is being pushed by Department of Justice Special Attorney Edward Martin Jr., who ran parallel mortgage fraud probes into James and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
The DOJ last month failed to secure an indictment in the case on the grounds that the U.S. attorney who presented the case, Lindsey Halligan, was improperly appointed.
James' attorney told the Times the new investigation reflected frustration with "the string of failures in carrying out President [Donald] Trump's political vendetta."
He branded the prosecution of Marsh as an attempt "to shake down people based on their association with Ms. James."
"Like their earlier attempts, this attack on Ms. James is doomed to fail," he said. "The desperation of those working for Trump is palpable and makes indelible the stain already put on this Justice Department."
Trump and James have been locked in a bitter legal and political battle for years, with James leading high-profile investigations into Trump's business practices and financial records.
Their feud has made James a frequent target of Trump's criticism, while Trump's legal troubles in New York have underscored the intense clash between the president and the state's top prosecutor.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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