Ex-NY AGs Say James Case Will Rally Office: 'Fuel To The Fire'
Marc Scholl, counsel at Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC, was quoted in a recent Law 360 article discussing how the criminal prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James could impact her office's daily operations, including its lawsuits against the federal government. James was recently indicted in Virginia for allegedly violating a mortgage agreement for a second home she bought in the state.
Scholl, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, dismissed the notion that the criminal charges against James would significantly affect her office’s ability to continue to bring legal action against the federal government. However, he noted James might prudently want to consider recusing herself in final decision-making on new matters to avoid even an appearance of conflict. "Perhaps allow her first deputy to make those decisions," he said. "But, so far as I am aware, there is no ethical obligation for her to do so.”
Other former prosecutors interviewed in the article offered the perspective that rather than having a negative impact on James’ office, the charges could strengthen the resolve of her staff.