California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state will not sue former President Donald Trump if he stops breaking the law.
The statement establishes a conditional legal strategy for the state's top prosecutor, signaling that California is prepared to engage in prolonged litigation to enforce state statutes.
Bonta said the office of the Attorney General has a duty to protect the state and enforce the law. He said the state will refrain from filing suits if the former president complies with legal requirements, but will pursue legal action if he does not.
"If [Trump] stops breaking the law, we won’t sue him," Bonta said in a video interview with Politico.
To support these potential legal efforts, the state has allocated significant resources. Bonta said the state maintains a $25 million [1] anti-Trump war chest designed to stop the former president from breaking the law.
This financial reserve allows California to pursue complex cases without depleting general funds. The strategy positions the state as a primary legal adversary to Trump's actions, provided those actions conflict with California law.
Bonta said the focus of the office remains the protection of the state's interests and the consistent application of the law regardless of the defendant's former status.
“"If [Trump] stops breaking the law, we won’t sue him."”
This approach indicates that California is utilizing its fiscal resources to create a legal deterrent against the former president. By publicly linking the use of a dedicated fund to specific behavioral conditions, the Attorney General is attempting to shift the burden of legal escalation onto Trump's future conduct.
