Friend, when I first stepped into public service, I understood that the journey ahead would be challenging – but I was ready to face it with purpose and resolve.

For Black women in public office, nothing is a given. We are judged more harshly, doubted more often, and held to a different standard than our peers. And so for every success we earn, we have to fight twice as hard.

I didn't come from wealth or privilege. I grew up in Brooklyn – in a family that worked hard, leaned on faith, and looked out for neighbors when no one else would. We didn't have much, but we had community. And that community taught me that when systems fail, people have to stand up for one another.

So that's what I set out to do.

From the very beginning, my mission has been to hold the powerful accountable and to protect the most vulnerable, no matter how tough the fight. I've gone after corporations that preyed on working families, defended reproductive freedom, protected tenants from soaring costs, and stood with communities too often ignored or left behind.

And yes – I've held Donald Trump and his administration accountable in court. That's why it's no surprise that he's coming after me.

A powerful man who has spent his life trying to avoid accountability is trying to discredit a public servant who has spent her career fighting for truth and justice. He wants to twist the law to silence me, punish me for doing my job, and send a message to every person who stands up to him.

But I will not be silenced. 

I didn't get here by accident. I got here by fighting, every single day, for the people who believed in me against all odds. And I'm not backing down now. 

If you believe our justice system shouldn’t operate with one set of rules for the powerful and another for everyone else, I hope you'll stand with me by making a donation today to help me hit my $15,000 mid-month goal. Your support keeps this fight alive for every New Yorker and every American who believes in fairness, accountability, and our democracy.

Thank you.

– Letitia James