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New York Attorney General Letitia James is widely recognized for her longstanding and public dispute with former President Donald Trump. Her memorable remark during a press conference, following a criminal investigation into the Trump Organization, remains a highlight. She announced a $250 million civil lawsuit against Trump and three of his children: Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump. “Claiming you have money you do not have does not amount to the art of the deal. It’s the art of the steal,” she declared, as reported by ABC News. This announcement led to a retaliatory investigation by the Justice Department and an appeal by Trump after his legal team admitted his inability to pay the fine. Even though James faced her own legal challenges, including an indictment for bank fraud and false statements, those charges were dismissed on November 24.
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Despite the intense public scrutiny and Trump’s ire, much about James’ personal life remains shrouded in mystery—a rarity for someone in her position. In a 2021 phone interview with TIME, she succinctly expressed her dedication: “I put my head down every day, and I go to work. I’ve been focused on improving the lives of others. That’s what my focus has been.”
When it comes to James’s personal life, there is little to uncover. She has never been married and has no children. Reflecting on her childhood, she shared with The Washington Post in 2018, “I was a tomboy and into sports. I was into books. I was not interested in getting married.” Her career appears to be her primary commitment.
From a young age, Letitia James aspired to don a business suit rather than a wedding gown. She recounted to TIME in October 2021, “I would admire women who wore suits, business suits. The first woman of color I ever saw wear a business suit was on the subway.” Today, she fulfills that childhood vision, known as a formidable and focused prosecutor.
James is also known for her private nature, possibly a strategy to shield her family, which includes seven siblings and numerous extended relatives, from the public eye. In the world of politics, scandals and controversies often loom, much like the inseparable pairing of bread and butter.
Letitia James is tight-lipped when it comes to her personal life
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Even as a young girl, Attorney General Letitia James had dreams of wearing a business suit — not a wedding dress. “I would admire women who wore suits, business suits,” she told a reporter for TIME in October 2021. “The first woman of color I ever saw wear a business suit was on the subway.” Since then, she has made good on that dream, earning herself a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense prosecutor — business suit and all.
It should be noted, however, that James has also developed a reputation for being ultra-private — a behavior some might chalk up to as a defense mechanism, ultimately out of a wish to protect her loved ones, including her seven siblings and many extended family members. After all, politicians and scandals go together like bread and butter. (You can read all about the politicians who were caught cheating here.)
Alas, even James has admitted there were times in her personal life when she felt lonely. Case in point: the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was socially isolated,” she told TIME about how she passed her days during COVID. “But nonetheless, I’ve got neighbors, we check on our neighbors, I’m directly across the street from my church.” As for the part about her love life? That’s one secret she’ll seemingly never tell. XOXO, Attorney General.
