Attorney Roberta Kaplan, known for representing columnist E. Jean Carroll in her lawsuits against former President Donald Trump, is now involved in a legal case defending the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in a lawsuit filed by the Trucking Association of New York over the MTA’s congestion pricing framework in New York City. New York Attorney General Letitia James is also named as a defendant in this lawsuit. Kaplan recently informed the judge that the lawsuit may not continue due to Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to halt the implementation of congestion pricing, which was scheduled to begin at the end of the month. The lawsuit argued that the framework unfairly targeted trucking companies by charging them higher rates than passenger vehicles.
Letitia James, another adversary of Donald Trump, has successfully pursued legal action against the former president and the Trump Organization for fraud. In February, a judge ruled in favor of James, barring Trump from operating any business in New York for three years and imposing a fine of $355 million plus interest. Trump, who alleges that James has a political vendetta against him, is appealing the decision and has posted a $175 million bond to prevent the attorney general from seizing his assets while he appeals. James and Kaplan are now both involved in defending the lawsuit challenging New York City’s congestion pricing program, which has faced backlash due to the financial burden it would place on New Yorkers and potential negative impact on the city’s economic recovery.
The Trucking Association of New York filed the lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, seeking to declare the congestion pricing program unconstitutional and requesting an injunction to prevent the toll from taking effect. In the MTA’s framework, passenger vehicles with an E-ZPass would be charged $15 to enter the Congestion Relief Zone during peak hours, while trucks would have to pay between $24 and $36 during those hours. Hochul announced the indefinite postponement of the implementation of congestion pricing, citing concerns about the financial burden it would place on “everyday New Yorkers” and its potential negative impact on the city’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
This legal dispute over congestion pricing is not the first time Kaplan and James have been involved in the same legal matter. In 2018, Kaplan co-founded the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund to provide legal support to victims of sexual violence. She later resigned as the organization’s chair in August 2021 after being named in a report released by James’ office that investigated sexual harassment allegations against former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The report alleged that Kaplan had assisted Cuomo in discrediting one of his accusers. Kaplan’s involvement in high-profile cases representing Trump’s accusers and defending the MTA in the congestion pricing lawsuit highlights her role as a prominent figure in the legal landscape and her ongoing involvement in significant legal disputes.
In conclusion, Roberta Kaplan’s representation of E. Jean Carroll in her lawsuits against Donald Trump and her involvement in defending the MTA in the congestion pricing lawsuit, along with Letitia James’ legal actions against Trump and the Trump Organization, underscore the complex and contentious legal battles that continue to unfold in the aftermath of the Trump presidency. The legal challenges surrounding congestion pricing in New York City and the ongoing appeals and disputes between Trump, James, and Kaplan demonstrate the intricacies of the legal system and the high-stakes nature of these cases. Kaplan’s past involvement with the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund and her resignation following allegations related to the Cuomo investigation add another layer of complexity to these legal entanglements. As these cases evolve, they shed light on the intersection of politics, law, and personal accountability in the realm of high-profile legal disputes.
