NY AG Letitia James Told to “Do Her Job” as Antisemitic Attacks Surge in New York

Breaking

A federal hate-crimes case out of Manhattan has ignited a public confrontation between a top New York Republican and the state’s Attorney General over how aggressively antisemitic violence is being prosecuted. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., used a campaign event this week to demand that Attorney General Letitia James take stronger action, telling reporters and supporters that “the Attorney General of the State of New York, Letitia James, needs to actually do her f—ing job,” adding that doing the job “means prosecute” those responsible for antisemitic attacks. Lawler made the remarks while accepting endorsements from the Police Conference of New York, the Port Authority PBA, the Rockland County PBA, and the New York State Fraternal Order of Police.

The comments came days after federal prosecutors charged Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, with hate crimes stemming from an August 14 attack at Central Synagogue in Manhattan. According to prosecutors, Montes disrupted Friday night Shabbat services attended by roughly 375 worshippers, damaged two ceremonial silver candlesticks, and punched a female congregant before spitting on and headbutting a security guard while allegedly using a racial slur. Montes has been charged with two counts of committing hate crimes and one count of destruction of religious property resulting in bodily injury; he has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations at this stage.

Details & Background

New York City has seen a documented increase in antisemitic incidents, with Lawler citing an 8.5% year-over-year rise in such hate crimes and noting that attacks on Jewish New Yorkers now account for more than half of all hate crimes reported in the five boroughs. Lawler also claimed that more than 90% of antisemitic hate crimes in New York state go unprosecuted, a figure he tied directly to the Attorney General’s office during his remarks. The synagogue attack is not an isolated incident; New York has recorded multiple assaults and vandalism episodes targeting houses of worship over the past year, prompting increased security measures at synagogues across the city.

Lawler’s criticism also extended to New York’s bail laws, with the congressman calling for an end to releasing suspects in these cases on cashless bail. Cashless bail reform has been a flashpoint in New York politics for years, with Republicans arguing it allows repeat and violent offenders back onto the streets while Democrats defend it as a tool against pretrial detention of low-level, nonviolent defendants. The Montes case, now being prosecuted federally rather than solely at the state level, adds another layer to the ongoing debate over whether state and local authorities are treating antisemitic violence with sufficient urgency.

Reactions

Attorney General Letitia James’s office released a statement calling the synagogue assault “appalling and unacceptable,” though her office did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on Lawler’s specific accusations. Federal officials involved in the Montes prosecution were more forceful in their public statements. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said “an attack on a house of worship is an attack on the fundamental right to practice one’s faith safely.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon added that “Americans’ fundamental right to worship without fear of bias-motivated violence is sacrosanct.”

FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. said “hate crimes have no place in New York, and we remain steadfast in protecting every community,” while NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch credited the officer who responded, saying “I am grateful that an NYPD sergeant was there to take him into custody.” Lawler’s broadside against James has not yet drawn a direct public response from the Attorney General herself, though the confrontation has fueled renewed scrutiny of New York’s hate-crime prosecution record from Republican officials statewide.

Why This Matters to You

For everyday New Yorkers, and for Americans watching from other states, this dispute cuts to a basic question of government accountability: are the officials entrusted with prosecuting crime actually doing so, or are politics getting in the way? When a sitting congressman publicly accuses a state’s top prosecutor of failing to enforce the law against attacks on a religious minority, it raises stakes well beyond one synagogue or one case. It touches the constitutional right to worship without fear, the integrity of the justice system, and public confidence that the law applies evenly regardless of who the victims are.

The federal government’s decision to bring hate-crime charges in the Montes case shows Washington is prepared to step in when local prosecution is seen as lacking — a reminder that federal law enforcement retains broad authority to act on civil rights violations even when state officials are criticized for inaction. As antisemitic incidents continue to climb in New York and nationwide, this clash between Lawler and James is unlikely to be the last word. Communities across the country will be watching closely to see whether accountability, not just condemnation, follows the next attack.

NY AG Letitia James Told to “Do Her Job” as Antisemitic Attacks Surge in New York