Photo: Jim Franco/Albany Times Union/Getty Images

A federal grand jury in Virginia has indicted New York State attorney general Letitia James in connection with allegations of mortgage fraud, the latest instance of the Justice Department pursuing the prosecution of President Donald Trump’s political enemies. James was indicted on two counts: bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.

The indictment comes at the direction of Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, who was appointed after her predecessor, Erik Siebert, resigned under pressure for declining to pursue charges against James and former FBI director James Comey. Comey was indicted late last month on allegations of making false statements to Congress, charges he denies.

James addressed the charges in a video statement shared to social media, denouncing the indictment as a “continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.”

“I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space. And so today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job,” she said.

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.I am not fearful — I am fearless. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. pic.twitter.com/X9U0EsHuGM

— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) October 9, 2025

In April, Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte made a criminal referral against James to the Justice Department, accusing the attorney general of committing mortgage fraud in connection with a Virginia home, citing media reports. In the referral, Pulte alleges that James purchased a home in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2023 and listed it as her primary residence despite her role as a New York government official.

“Ms. James, for both properties listed above, appears to have falsified records in order to meet certain lending requirements and receive favorable loan terms,” Pulte wrote in a letter to U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche.

James’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, rejected the allegations in a letter to the Justice Department, saying his client had assisted her niece with the purchase of the Virginia home. Lowell said Pulte “cherry-picked” a form that “mistakenly stated the property to be Ms. James’ principal residence” while ignoring a statement James sent to the mortgage broker weeks earlier that stated she would not be living at the property. “If Ms. James’ declaration in her loan application from the time of the purchase was not enough, I hope this letter (and its exhibits) put this stale claim to rest,” Lowell wrote.

Trump has long railed against James, who led a successful civil fraud case against him and the Trump Organization last year, denouncing her as “corrupt.” Last month, the president issued a public direction to Bondi on Truth Social to seek charges against James and Comey. “Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,” he wrote. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”


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