New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on charges of bank fraud and making false statements, marking a dramatic escalation in her long-running feud with President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors allege that James misrepresented details in a mortgage application, claiming a property in Norfolk, Virginia, was her secondary residence to secure more favorable loan terms, while in reality, it was leased to relatives. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison and fines of as much as $1 million per count.
James forcefully denied the accusations. “These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” she said in a statement later posted as a video on Twitter. “The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.”
The case traces back to reports that Trump had pressed his Justice Department appointees to pursue James, who previously led a heavily-criticized civil case against him that resulted in a major financial penalty before being overturned on appeal. Many have claimed that James crossed a line, especially since she openly campaigned on trying to jail the then former president. She at one point said she would seize Trump Tower.
Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed a special prosecutor to probe alleged mortgage irregularities after Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte referred the matter to federal authorities.
Although early investigators found the evidence too weak to proceed, the probe was revived following the resignation of interim U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert. His replacement, Lindsey Halligan—a Trump attorney with no prior prosecutorial experience—brought the charges, calling them “intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust.”
Representing James, attorney Abbe Lowell characterized the prosecution as “President Trump’s desire for revenge.” He continued, “When a President can publicly direct charges to be filed against someone — when it was reported that career attorneys concluded none were warranted — it marks a serious attack on the rule of law. We will fight these charges in every process allowed in the law.”
The White House declined to comment. James is scheduled for her first court appearance on October 24 in Norfolk before U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker, a Biden appointee.
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