A video showing New York Attorney General Letitia James visiting a neighborhood laundromat in Brooklyn has attracted ridicule online, with critics accusing her of putting on a performance for the camera. While the person who filmed the encounter insisted James was a regular customer, many viewers didn’t buy it, calling the whole thing “staged.”
Renee Collymore, vice chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party County Committee, shared the clip on X and presented James as a familiar face in the Clinton Hill neighborhood. “Okay, y’all. This is Tish James, our State Attorney General. She’s going to get her clothes washed. You see she’s going to the local neighborhood laundromat,” Collymore said while filming.
James, dressed in a white blazer over a black outfit and carrying a large laundry bag, smiled at the camera and replied, “Of course.”
Their conversation was briefly interrupted when someone off-camera greeted the attorney general. James returned the greeting and also encouraged the person to vote. The person responded that they would.
James then turned her attention back to Collymore, who prompted her to head toward the laundromat right next to where they were filming. When James reached the entrance, the two said their goodbyes and the clip ended there.
Critics Question Whether Letitia James’ Laundromat Visit Was Staged
The short video was meant to highlight James’ connection to the New York neighborhood, but it drew plenty of online criticism. Rather than praising James for supporting a local business, several viewers questioned whether the video was genuine.
“You can’t convince me this isn’t a SNL skit,” one commenter wrote. “Nothing about this looks organic,” another remarked. A third said, “Staged video! We don’t believe you!” A fourth added, “Oh please this couldn’t be anymore phony! Like really she goes to a laundromat give me a break she has tons of money and probably has maids! You people think we are that stupid.”
Other critics seemed less concerned about whether James actually used the laundromat and more interested in questioning how she was doing her job as attorney general.
“How about doing what you are paid to do, just put criminals in jail,” one person commented. Another wrote, “Supporting small businesses?! That’s not her job. Her job is to prosecute criminals. To keep the streets safe.”
Collymore Defends James as Backlash Continues
Collymore has since pushed back against claims that James’ visit to the laundromat was nothing more than a publicity stunt. Responding to the criticism, she said she and James are neighbors and insisted the attorney general is a regular customer.
“If you lived in our neighborhood, you would know that she goes to the laundromat all of the time,” Collymore replied to one critic in the comments.
Whether that explanation will satisfy the critics remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, James also faces criticism over a separate controversy involving a former prosecutor in her office who claims he was pressured to keep investigating President Donald Trump despite finding no evidence of wrongdoing.
According to an exclusive New York Post report, James’ office recently released personnel records belonging to the former prosecutor, Daniel Wiesenfeld, who was fired in September. The documents detailed alleged problems with his work performance and accusations that he had violated office rules. However, the decision to release those records drew criticism from Richard Azzopardi, a former adviser to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who called James the “biggest hypocrite in Albany.”
Azzopardi argued that James’ office had previously condemned Cuomo’s administration for releasing damaging personnel records about a woman who accused the former governor of sexual harassment. He questioned why James’ office was now doing something similar. James’ office, however, defended the release, saying Wiesenfeld was fired for misconduct and that it provided his records in accordance with New York’s public records law.
