The civil fraud case in New York City against former President Donald Trump won't open up any other cases against real estate developers or anyone else, as New York Attorney General Letitia James brought her lawsuit against Trump to get him alone, Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said on Newsmax Sunday.
"Leticia James ran on the campaign not to get real estate developers but to get Trump," Dershowitz, who wrote a book called "Get Trump" told Newsmax's "Sunday Report." "That was her campaign pledge so this is only against Trump."
Dershowitz added that not only is the case a matter of benign "limited use of prosecutorial discretion," it is one of the worst uses of such discretion he's seen in his decades of legal practice.
James, a Democrat, is calling for $370 million in penalties on claims that Trump exaggerated the values of properties on financial statements he provided to banks, insurance companies, and others, while he denies doing anything wrong.
"Why are you protecting banks that have the best people to assess what the value of a real estate operation is, especially since the banks didn't lose any money and aren't complaining?" Dershowitz said. "It's so political. It's so obvious and it's a scandal that our legal system is being weaponized this way."
He reiterated that he does not politically support Trump, but said he does support the Constitution and will defend anyone of any party that is "subjected to unconstitutional actions by government agents" who distort the American legal system to reach their gains.
Judge Arthur Engoron, the presiding judge in the Manhattan trial, has already written his opinion and has come to an "absurd conclusion" that Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is worth just $17 million, said Dershowitz.
"I'd be prepared tomorrow to buy it and sell it for 20 times that amount," he said. "This is not a trial. This is a sham and a political event."
Last week, Trump, who had been barred from giving a formal closing argument, was given a brief chance to speak as his civil trial was concluding but was cut off by Engoron after just a few minutes.
Meanwhile, Dershowitz predicted there will be bar complaints filed against Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis after reports indicated that she was allegedly involved in a romantic relationship with one of the prosecutors in the case.
"There will be efforts to try to recuse them from the case but it won't result in a dismissal of the case," said Dershowitz.
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.