Alina Habba, former President Donald Trump's attorney, criticized New York's Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, characterizing her as "fame-hungry" following the announcement that the state is pursuing up to $370 million in fines in a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump's business empire.

Habba, representing Trump in the case, voiced her concerns on Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures," accusing James of prioritizing personal fame over the interests of New York State.

⭕️President Trump’s attorney calls Letitia James ‘fame-hungry’ after raising fine in civil fraud lawsuithttps://t.co/P2qaeIkv8g

— Conservative Box (@conservativebox) January 8, 2024

The interview

She asserted that James aims to deplete the Trump Organization's bank account, harm innocent individuals, and strip them of their severance pay.

While Habba dismissed James's recent filings as an attempt to "up the ante," the attorney general cited emerging evidence in the case, categorizing damages into three groups: earnings gained by Trump from interest rate savings due to misstating assets, "bonuses" paid to Trump Organization employees involved in the alleged scheme, and profits from two deals that James claims were fraudulently obtained.

The contested deals involved $139 million in profit from the Old Post Office sale in Washington and $60 million in profit from the Ferry Point golf course sale in New York City, according to court documents.

Trump innocent

Habba argued that expert testimonies in favor of Trump during the trial should confirm to the presiding judge that Trump "did nothing wrong," providing excess information with no victims.

She highlighted Deutsche Bank's positive feedback on working with Trump, emphasizing that he paid off loans early or on time, and the investments in related assets were beneficial.

Judge Arthur Engoron, overseeing the trial, previously ruled Trump guilty of James's allegations and ordered the dissolution of his New York business.

The claims by James

Attorneys representing James submitted post-trial motions seeking punitive measures in the Trump fraud case.

The motions, filed on Friday, include a whopping $370 million in fines against the Trump Organization.

James is also advocating for lifetime bans on Trump, Weisselberg and McConney, preventing their participation in the real estate industry and serving as officers or directors in New York corporations or entities.

The attorney general is also seeking five-year bans for Trump's sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, with similar restrictions.

The summary judgment rendered in the case established the former president, his company, and top executives as liable for persistent fraud in preparing and certifying Trump’s financial statements, which were inaccurately inflated by an estimated $812 million to $2.2 billion.

Closing arguments are scheduled for Jan. 11, with Engoron expected to decide on penalties by the end of the month, with the announcement potentially having a massive impact on Trump's 2024 election campaign.