Wiesenfeld previously sent an email to colleagues accusing his superiors of directing him toward Trump-related targets without what he considered a legitimate investigative basis. The email was subsequently deleted from the office’s systems, according to reports.
The prosecutor has since been placed on paid administrative leave.
At the center of his allegations is Shamiso Maswoswe, chief of James’ Investor Protection Bureau.
Wiesenfeld claimed Maswoswe instructed him “to find and pursue crimes” involving individuals and organizations associated with Trump.
Among the names he referenced were Trump himself, Truth Social and Hewlett Packard. He alleged that he was being asked to investigate those targets “without having a credible reason” for doing so.
In his message to colleagues, Wiesenfeld made a pointed comparison to the very conduct Democrats have accused the Trump administration of engaging in.
“If you believe Trump is using the Department of Justice attorneys to prosecute his enemies to further his political interests, you should find it equally troubling that Tish [James] is doing exactly the same thing,” the email allegedly said.
Wiesenfeld then appealed directly to fellow attorneys inside the office, warning them against turning the state’s top law-enforcement agency into a political weapon.
“I ask you that you not serve as Tish’s personal attorneys by targeting her political enemies,” it said. “Instead, I hope you choose to prosecute crimes and find the individuals accountable, rather than targeting individuals and then finding crimes.”
Those allegations are particularly significant given James’ long-running political and legal battle with Trump.
James made her opposition to Trump a major part of her political identity before becoming attorney general. During her 2018 campaign, she vowed to “prosecute the president for crimes committed in New York State” if elected.
Her office later brought a sweeping civil fraud case against Trump, his company and members of his family.
A New York judge ruled against Trump in 2024 and initially imposed a penalty exceeding $350 million. The litigation continued through the appeals process, with the massive financial penalty later overturned while the case remained the subject of further legal proceedings.
Now, Wiesenfeld’s allegations are raising a different question: Were some investigations pursued because investigators believed there was evidence of wrongdoing, or were particular political figures identified first and potential violations sought afterward?
That distinction could prove critical if federal authorities determine that the allegations warrant further investigation.
James’ office has rejected the accusations.
“This is a personnel matter, and the employee in question has been placed on administrative leave with full pay,” the attorney general’s office said, according to reports.
The office also emphasized its stated commitment to impartial enforcement of New York law.
“The office of the attorney general is committed to upholding New York’s laws and protecting the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers, regardless of political beliefs,” the statement said. “We strongly reject any assertion to the contrary.”
Wiesenfeld has not publicly discussed his meeting with federal investigators.
His attorney, Levi Stoep, offered only a brief response.
Wiesenfeld “has no public comment at the current time.”
The White House, however, immediately seized on the allegations.
“This is more proof of the weaponization of the justice system by Letitia James to target President Trump and her political opponents,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said. “The far-left Democrats’ lawfare against President Trump, his family must stop.”
The controversy also puts renewed attention on Maswoswe, the official Wiesenfeld identified in his allegations.
Maswoswe previously worked at the Justice Department during Trump’s first administration before leaving the agency and later filing a lawsuit alleging discrimination. The case was eventually settled for $795,000 in 2023 under the Biden administration, according to reports.
She subsequently joined James’ office and rose to become chief of its Investor Protection Bureau.
Public records also show Maswoswe has played a senior role in cases brought by the New York Attorney General’s Office. A 2025 filing from James’ office, for example, identifies Maswoswe as chief of the Investor Protection Bureau.
Still, federal investigators have not publicly accused James or Maswoswe of committing a crime.
No charges have been announced, and the precise purpose or scope of the federal meetings with Wiesenfeld remains unclear.
That distinction matters.
At this stage, the allegations are claims made by a former prosecutor against his supervisors—not established findings of federal investigators.
But the fact that Wiesenfeld has now reportedly met with FBI and Justice Department attorneys could make it considerably harder for James’ office to dismiss the controversy as nothing more than an internal personnel dispute.
For James, the timing is especially politically sensitive.
Her years-long confrontation with Trump has made her one of his most prominent Democratic opponents in New York. Republicans have repeatedly accused her of using the powers of her office to pursue political enemies, while James has maintained that her investigations are based on the law rather than partisan considerations.
Wiesenfeld’s allegations strike directly at that defense.
If federal investigators find evidence supporting his claims, the fallout could extend well beyond one employee’s dispute with his supervisors. It could raise broader questions about investigative priorities, prosecutorial independence and whether political considerations played any role in decisions made inside one of the country’s most powerful state attorney general’s offices.
For now, however, the biggest unanswered question remains what federal investigators learned during their lengthy meeting with Wiesenfeld—and whether they believe his allegations warrant taking the matter further.
