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Republican Michael Henry said he’s raising the necessary funds for a rematch bid to topple embattled New York State Attorney General Letitia James next year.
Henry — who ran a spirited bid against the incumbent Democrat in 2022 — has received contributions from 6,000 donors, including from more than 1,200 New Yorkers who are eligible for matching funds.
The commercial litigator received a surprising 45% of the vote while losing to James three years ago — but vowed this time will be different.
“Together, we will bring balance back to New York. It’s time to fight for every New Yorker — and it’s time for Tish James to go,” Henry said.
Next year’s election will be the first time that statewide candidates can qualify for 6 to 1 public matching funds. Under the public finance program, a $25 donation generates $175, and a $100 donation counts as $700.
Henry claimed James has run a partisan operation.
“The attorney general’s office belongs to the people — not political operatives,” he said.
James has made a name for herself by prosecuting President Trump’s business empire and commissioned an investigative report that concluded ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo harassed a slew of women, triggering his resignation.
But Trump ended up winning a second term and Cuomo, who denied the misconduct accusations, now is the Democratic front-runner in a comeback bid for New York City mayor.
James is now playing defense, deflecting bombshell accusations of mortgage fraud, and Henry said she has some explaining to do.
“Mortgage documents👉 she doesn’t deny the public records. and there is more to come!!!,” he said in an April 17 post on X.
The Trump-aligned America First Legal watchdog filed a complaint against James Monday with the New York State Unified Court System’s Committee on Professional Standards, which oversees disciplinary matters for lawyers licensed in the state, about the claims.
The group’s five-page missive rehashes allegations detailed in a letter seeking a federal criminal probe into James that was sent by Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte to the Justice Department earlier this month.
Pulte said James appeared to have “falsified records” to obtain favorable home loans for a Virginia property and a Brooklyn apartment she owns.
But her lawyer, Abbe David Lowell, said the situation amounted to nothing more than a clerical error and accused Pulte of selectively including it to beef up his accusations.
Lowell said in a blistering letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi last week that the accusations were nothing more than a meritless assault in Trump’s “revenge tour” against the prosecutor.
James’ camp declined to comment on Henry’s challenge.
English (US)