Make New York Post a Preferred Source New York State Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference on the steps of City Hall in New York City, Thursday, October 1, 2026. Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com New Yorkers who care about crime, the mentally ill and protecting taxpayer funds should watch Thursday’s debate between Attorney General Letitia James and challenger Saritha Komatireddy.
Komatireddy, a Harvard-trained ex-Biden official and federal prosecutor, will likely recount her 32-count “political indictment” of the AG and to ask public to find her “guilty” when they vote in November.
Komatireddy’s top “charge” against James? Abandoning her official duties and abusing her office to play politics.
How? Mainly, by endlessly slapping President Donald Trump and his administration with meritless lawsuits — which win her headlines but inevitably get shot down in court.
In a two-year span alone, James sued Team Trump a jaw-dropping 66 times.
She also helped fellow hack Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg bring a bogus criminal case against Trump, and filed her own trash civil case against him, accusing him of defrauding banks — even though the banks made money, never complained and hope to do more business with him. (Both ultimately failed.)
All that, of course, was to keep a campaign promise to probe and prosecute Trump — even though she couldn’t name any crimes he may have committed.
This summer, a whistleblower in her office, former prosecutor Daniel Wiesenfeld, reported he was ordered to target Trump, despite the lack of “a credible reason.”
He now alleges her office is threatening him with “civil and/or criminal action” if he doesn’t destroy evidence supporting his claim.
James must’ve learned her tactics from the organized crime gangs she’s failing to take down.
Worse: She set on using her power to play politics again in her probe of the Cornell 7 for sexual assault.
How on Earth can anyone expect a fair probe when she’s already concluded “what the young woman has been forced to endure is horrific” and has vowed “to stand” with her?
Nor will hiring outside counsel to help with that probe, as she plans to do, cover up her bias; she never should should’ve accepted the probe in the first place.
Komatireddy, for her part, highlights the crime and fraud James has ignored.
Average “New Yorkers don’t feel safe,” she charges.
James dodges, claiming her office focuses primarily on civil, not criminal cases.
But don’t buy it: An AG has plenty of power to pursue cases, such as, say, when prosecutors fall down on the job — for instance, when it comes to retail theft rings, hate crimes and other threats.
Plus, James has pushed pro-criminal policies for her entire career, like bail reform, a key reason overall crime in the city remains higher than before cashless bail became law.
As AG, James has ignored off key duties, like probing fraud and corruption, allowing the theft of billions meant for the sick and needy.
Now look at Komatireddy’s record: As a federal prosecutor, she brought down terrorists, cartel members, cybercriminals and more, prompting President Joe Biden to name her chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Along with vowing to crack down on crime, including antisemitic hate crime, and to pursue fraud and corruption, she’s calling for an Office of Civil Commitment to get mentally ill homeless off the streets and into programs.
Her record, and agenda, couldn’t be more different than James’. Or refreshing.
That leaves only one question for New Yorkers: Do they want to stick with a political panderer — or vote in a true crime-and fraud-fighter to serve as the state’s top lawyer?
