New York’s anti-Trump, left-wing AG disenfranchises conservatives; threatens church planning to host Trump-friendly free speech event

While Democrats and their lapdogs in the media continue to claim that Republicans are a ‘threat to democracy,’ they keep proving that in reality, they are the ones who embrace authoritarianism.

That includes highly partisan actors like New York Attorney General Letitia James, who ran on a platform — literally — of pledging to investigate and convict then-President Donald Trump and ruin his businesses.

Though she has been unable to do that thus far because Trump is inherently honest, she is still nevertheless continuing to go after him in any way possible.

Last week, James issued a threatening letter to a church that plans to host an event sponsored by a group favorable to the former president that included his son, Eric Trump. In it, James warned that her office would be monitoring the event and would act against the church of any alleged violations of civil rights or laws were suspected.

The site Legal Insurrection noted:

This pre-emptive attempt to chill speech has been reported, though it did not receive much national attention, with the church asserting it viewed the warning as an act of intimidation.

We obtained the letter from the church, and the letter is shocking in its threatening and bullying tone using the threat of possible investigation and prosecution in advance of the event in what reasonably could be seen as an attempt to get the church not to host the event.

The group that seeks to hold its event is the Reawaken America Tour, which has made appearances all across the country since April 2021 and which includes notable figure Michael Flynn, a retired three-star Army general who was the first ‘casualty’ of Trump’s administration, having been falsely accused of improper contact with a Russian ambassador.

Originally, the New York portion of the tour was to be held in Rochester, but after local officials protested and launched an online petition, the owner of the venue, Main Street Armory, caved to the pressure and canceled the event.

The Legal Insurrection Foundation managed to obtain a copy of the letter James sent to Cornerstone Church, Flynn, and even organizer Clay Clark on Aug. 3.

The letter begins by reminding the recipients that James, who is black, is “New York’s top law enforcement officer,” while adding she has “significant concerns that the ReAwaken American Tour…could spur extremist or racially motivated violence.”

It states:

These concerns center around the event’s proposed dates, which coincide with the five-year anniversary of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and past extremist statements made by yourselves and the other featured speakers on the tour. I am especially concerned about featured speakers’ regular allusions to white nationalist ideals connected to the “Great Replacement Theory,” a conspiracy theory that warns of white genocide and efforts to replace native born immigrants. The theory is frequently linked to violent actions, including the racially motivated mass shooting that killed 10 people at a Tops Friendly Markets store in Buffalo.

“The Office of the Attorney General writes to remind you that New York law prohibits racially motivated violence, harassment, or interference with another person in the exercise of their civil rights. New York Civil Rights Law §79-n empowers the Office of the Attorney General to investigate acts of violence, intimidation, threats, or harassment directed at people based on a belief or perception regarding an individual’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation. In addition to actual damages, any person who violates this statute can be held liable for $5,000 in penalties for each violation.,” the letter goes on.

It concludes: “The Office of the Attorney General has a duty to protect New Yorkers from extremist and racially motivated violence. We stand ready to investigate any violation of the laws above and, if necessary, to enforce them to the fullest extent available.”

Pastor Paul Doyle of Cornerstone Church pushed back on James’ unfounded insinuation that he was hosting a racially-tinged event, noting that his congregation of about 150-200 consisted of multi-ethnic members.

“I take exception to the words she uses, like extreme views,” he told The Associated Press, according to LI. “What’s that mean? What’s extreme? We’re conservative Christians. Now we’re extreme?”

“Harassment from our own government. I feel harassed. I am a law-abiding — I’m a businessman. I’m law-abiding, I’m God-fearing, and I’m hosting an event,” he added.

Democrats are projecting when they claim Republicans are the authoritarians, as James proves once again.

Sources include:

NBCNewYork.com

LegalInsurrection.com