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Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Former president Donald Trump Friday withdrew a lawsuit filed in federal court against New York Attorney General Letitia James. The filing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida did not elaborate on the reasons for dropping the suit, stating only that Trump "voluntarily dismisses his claims."
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The news came the day Trump's "reply to our motion to dismiss this case was due," said James' lawyer Delaney Kempner.
Trump had been attempting to shield himself and the revocable trust controlling his Trump Corporation from a lawsuit filed by James last September. That $250 million suit accuses Trump, his organization, and three of his children of deceptive business practices. It also alleges misleading financial statements.
The suit seeks to bar those family members from serving as officers or directors in any New York company.
Earlier this month, a New York State judge denied a request to quash the lawsuit against the former president, calling claims by Trump lawyers "frivolous."
At the time, Federal Judge Judge Arthur Engoron cautioned Trump and his lawyers.
"Here, sophisticated defense counsel should have known better," he wrote in his decision.
The day before the lawsuit against James was withdrawn, Federal Judge John Middlebrooks cautioned Trump's lawyers against proceeding, calling Trump "a prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the courts to seek revenge on political adversaries."
Friday ends that portion of the legal battle, while James' suit continues.
The filing came the same day Middlebrooks excoriated Trump and lead attorney Alina Habba in a separate lawsuit in the same jurisdiction.
The judge, who was also presiding over Trump's lawsuit against James, collectively fined Habba and the former president $937,989. The sanction relates to a lawsuit filed by Trump against Hillary Clinton last March, accusing her of rigging the 2016 presidential election.
That suit has since been dismissed, but that didn't stop Middlebrooks' ruling Friday, calling it "a lawsuit that should never have been filed, which was completely frivolous, both factually and legally."
