The Justice Department obtained a grand jury indictment on Thursday against New York Attorney General Letitia James, charging her with bank fraud in relation to the purchase of a Virginia property in 2023. The case, which centers on claims that James misrepresented her intended use of the Norfolk home on mortgage documents, makes her the second prominent critic of the president to be hit with federal charges in the Eastern District of Virginia since President Trump installed an ally as the federal prosecutor there, the Washington Post reports. James' office sued Trump, his sons, and his business in a civil fraud case, per CNN.
Trump has pushed for charging James for months, per the AP—posting on social media without citing any evidence that she's "guilty as hell." James, a Democrat, has denied wrongdoing. She has said that she made an error while filling out a form related to the home purchase but quickly rectified it and didn't deceive the lender. Federal investigators allege James falsely claimed the Virginia property would be her primary residence while serving as attorney general in New York, which could have secured her a more favorable mortgage rate. James' lawyers said the property was purchased for James' niece and not for personal gain.
Last month, Trump forced out the district's chief prosecutor, then nominated Lindsey Halligan, who had no prosecutorial experience, to the post. She's since won an indictment against former FBI director James Comey on unrelated charges; Comey has pleaded not guilty. Halligan personally presented the case against James to a grand jury in Alexandria, a move that's unusual for a top political appointee and possibly reflecting reluctance among career prosecutors to handle the case. According to two individuals familiar with the case, a senior career attorney expressed doubts about the evidence against James, called the case weak, and took steps to shield staff from involvement, per the Post.
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