New York Attorney General Letitia James sits down with Ali Velshi
New York Attorney General Letitia James chats with MSNBC's Al Velshi at the second annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival in Philadelphia. The topic: Can States Save The Country? Fairness, Justice, and the Rule of Law
In the video, James, the first woman of color to hold her position, notes with some irony her (and other AGs') fights for states’ rights—the same argument used to defend slavery—under Pres. Trump’s administration. “I wake up every day with this fire in my belly,” she told MSNBC host Ali Velshi. “I usually sue 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and then I go the hell home.” Fighting for the people, each and every day? We need more of that.
Prior to her current post, James served as the Public Advocate for the City of New York, the second highest elected official in New York City and the first woman of color to hold citywide office there. She served on New York City Council, was head of the Brooklyn Regional Office of the New York Attorney General’s Office, and spent many years as a lawyer in the New York State Legislature. She began her career as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society, and has worked to protect vulnerable communities and tackle corruption