New York Attorney General Letitia James, a long-standing adversary of U.S. President Donald Trump, has been charged with criminal offenses, including bank fraud, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The administration is targeting individuals who have investigated Trump or opposed his policies. The indictment, announced by Lindsey Halligan, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, includes one count of bank fraud and one count of false statement to a lending institution against James. The Justice Department is investigating allegations of mortgage fraud against her.
Halligan described the charges as deliberate criminal acts and significant violations of the public’s trust. Each charge carries a potential 30-year prison sentence, with the final judgment left to a judge if James is found guilty. In response, James criticized the indictment as part of Trump’s misuse of the justice system for political retribution.
Trump, a Republican who vowed to seek retribution during his re-election campaign, has frequently criticized James, labeling her as a partisan opponent. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, condemned the use of the Justice Department to target those holding the powerful accountable.
The indictment of James follows the recent indictment of former FBI director James Comey on charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation. Trump has criticized Comey’s handling of the FBI’s inquiry into Russian contacts with his 2016 campaign.
Trump’s social media post on Sept. 20, directed at U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, accused James, Comey, and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff of being “guilty as hell.” Halligan, who replaced the former top federal prosecutor Erik Siebert, brought both indictments against James and Comey. Siebert resigned amid concerns about the evidence against them.
James, known for her legal actions against the Trump administration, previously pursued a civil fraud case resulting in a large penalty against Trump. The case was later partially overturned on appeal. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and accused James of politically motivated actions against him.
The Justice Department’s investigation into James’s mortgage fraud stemmed from allegations made by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte. The probe suggests James falsified records to secure favorable loans for properties she purchased in Virginia and New York. James’s lawyer claims the misrepresentation was unintentional.
The Justice Department is also investigating mortgage fraud allegations against Schiff and Lisa Cook, neither of whom has been charged. Loans for primary residences typically offer lower rates compared to investment properties or second homes. It remains uncertain if lenders considered the intended use of the properties in setting the mortgage rates for James, Schiff, or Cook.