New York State Attorney General Indicted for Mortgage Fraud: Letitia James Says It's Trump's Political Revenge

New York State Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted on federal criminal charges, confirmed by a grand jury. James, who led the 2023 investigation into fraud related to Donald Trump, is accused of bank fraud, according to reports. Air force.

The charges against Letitia James were filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, in Alexandria.

Prosecutors allege she made false statements to a financial institution when applying for a mortgage on a home in Norfolk, Virginia.

In her statement, James accused the president, who recently publicly called on prosecutors to indict her, of "a desperate attempt to exploit the justice system for political purposes."

On the subject: Former FBI Director James Comey has been charged with perjury and obstruction of justice.

"He is forcing federal law enforcement to do his bidding simply because I was doing my job as New York State Attorney General," she said. "These allegations are baseless, and it is clear from the president's public statements that his sole goal is political vendetta at any cost."

"No one is above the law," said Lindsay Halligan, the federal prosecutor assigned to the case.

"The charges brought against us reflect deliberate criminal conduct and a serious breach of public trust," she said. "The facts and law in this case are clear, and we will follow them to achieve justice."

Trump appointed Halligan, who previously served as his personal attorney, to oversee the case after another federal prosecutor, Eric Siebert, resigned. Siebert was reportedly removed after informing the Justice Department that he did not find sufficient grounds to charge James.

The first court hearing in the New York State Attorney General's case is scheduled for October 24 in Norfolk.

Prosecutors allege that James purchased a three-bedroom house in Norfolk with a mortgage. The loan only permitted her to use the property as a second home, not as her primary residence. The terms of the loan prohibited her from sharing the house with others or renting it out through a timeshare scheme.

The indictment states that the home was "not used" by James as a second residence, but was "used as a rental property" and rented to a family of three.

Prosecutors say this allowed James to obtain more favorable loan terms that were not available for properties purchased for investment purposes.

Halligan said that if convicted, James could face up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million on each count.

James' attorney, Abbe Lowell, said: "We are deeply concerned that this case is motivated by President Trump's desire for revenge."

Last month, Trump called on US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who leads the Justice Department, to prosecute his political opponents, including James.

"We can't put this off any longer - it's ruining our reputation and eroding trust," he wrote on social media.

James was one of several Trump opponents mentioned in the post. In the same address, the president called on Bondi to investigate the actions of former FBI Director James Comey, who was soon indicted on criminal charges. Comey pleaded not guilty and stated that the charges of lying to Congress were baseless.

The Justice Department has reportedly opened investigations into Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton and California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.

In a civil fraud case brought against Trump by James, the court found him guilty of falsifying documents to obtain more favorable loan terms and imposed a $500 million fine. An appeals court overturned the fine as excessive but upheld Trump's liability for the fraud.

During the trial, Trump repeatedly attacked James outside of court, accusing her of a "political witch hunt." James, in turn, claimed that, as the court confirmed, Trump "is not above the law."

On October 9, she said she still fully supports the lawsuits her office filed against Trump and his organization.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called the charges against James "using the Justice Department as a tool for vengeance."

The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union described it as "yet another example of President Trump's blatant abuse of power."

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