NYCLA Senior Officers Speak Out About the DOJ Prosecuting the President’s Political Opponents

Our government is one of laws, not of men. With this vital principle in mind, we, the President and President-Elect of the New York County Lawyers Association, write to express our extreme concern about recent news reports that former U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert of the Eastern District of Virginia has resigned amidst pressure from the Administration to prosecute three of the President’s political opponents, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff. The news reports go on to say that Mr. Siebert had already investigated these people at the President’s behest, that he had concluded there is insufficient evidence to prosecute AG James and Director Comey, and that the President insisted Mr. Siebert proceed anyway, a directive that presents a threat to the rule of law.

President Trump compounded this threat by stating in a Truth Social post over the last weekend that Attorney General Pam Bondi should proceed with prosecutions of these three persons.  Perhaps not surprisingly, we just heard news reports yesterday (Wednesday, September 24, 2025) that Director Comey is about to be indicted before the statute of limitations runs on his alleged crime. These actions represent a presidential interference with the independence of the Department  Justice the likes of which we have not seen since the days of President Nixon demanding that Attorney General John Mitchell prosecute Nixon’s enemies

The rule of law – the very foundation of our nation’s freedom – cannot survive if politicians, however high their office, can pressure police and prosecutors to ignore the facts and law and punish their political enemies based on a whim. We at NYCLA view the rule of law as one of our core values, as lawyers and citizens, and we cannot stand in silence while the Administration flouts it.

About the New York County Lawyers Association
The New York County Lawyers Association (www.nycla.org) was founded in 1908 as one of the first major bar associations in the country that admitted members without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Since its inception, it has pioneered some of the most far-reaching and tangible reforms in American jurisprudence and has continuously played an active role in legal developments and public policy.

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