Donald J. Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday against the New York State attorney general, Letitia James, seeking to halt her long-running civil investigation into his business practices.
The suit, filed in federal court in upstate New York by Mr. Trump and his family real estate business, argues that Ms. James’s inquiry, which has lasted more than two years, has violated Mr. Trump’s constitutional rights.
Mr. Trump and his lawyers have long argued that the investigation was politically motivated; the lawsuit asks a judge to agree, and to stop the investigation.
“Her mission is guided solely by political animus and a desire to harass, intimidate, and retaliate against a private citizen who she views as a political opponent,” the suit reads.
A spokesman for Ms. James did not immediately reply to a request for comment. If Ms. James were to find evidence of wrongdoing, she could file a lawsuit against Mr. Trump, but because it is a civil inquiry, she could not file criminal charges.
Mr. Trump’s lawsuit comes less than two weeks after Ms. James signaled that she would seek to question Mr. Trump under oath early next month. At the time, Mr. Trump’s lawyers said that they would ask a judge to quash the subpoena, and they are still expected to do so in the coming days.
A lawyer for Mr. Trump, Alina Habba, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The developments in the civil investigation come during a critical phase of a separate, criminal investigation into the former president being conducted by the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr.
That investigation is centered on whether Mr. Trump defrauded lenders by inflating the value of his assets. Ms. James’s office is also assisting in the criminal investigation.
Mr. Vance leaves office at the end of the year and has not yet signaled whether his investigation, which also focuses on Mr. Trump’s business practices, will be handed to his successor, Alvin Bragg.
Ms. James’s civil investigation began in March 2019, and she has focused on some of the same aspects of Mr. Trump’s business as Mr. Vance.