A grand jury has indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on a fraud charge, marking a significant development in a Justice Department case perceived as an attack on political adversaries of former President Donald Trump. According to a source familiar with the matter, James was indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for one count related to a mortgage fraud investigation. The individual, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, noted that James' office has not issued an immediate comment regarding the indictment.
This indictment follows closely on the heels of a separate criminal case that charged former FBI Director James Comey with lying to Congress. Together, these cases underscore the Trump administration's aggressive use of the Justice Department's legal powers to target political opponents and figures who previously investigated Trump. The situation surrounding the indictment remains unclear as the case is still under seal, preventing any assessment of the evidence against James.
The indictment process for James was notably unconventional. The Trump administration replaced Erik Siebert, a veteran prosecutor who had previously overseen the investigation and resisted filing charges, with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who has no prior experience as a federal prosecutor and once served as Trump's personal attorney. This shift raises questions about potential motivations behind the pursuit of charges against James.
President Trump has been vocal in his desire to see James charged, frequently posting on social media that she is "guilty as hell" without providing evidence. During a White House press briefing, he suggested that James appears to be "really guilty" but admitted uncertainty regarding the specific allegations. James, a Democrat currently serving her second term as attorney general, has maintained her innocence, stating that any errors made while filling out a mortgage form were quickly corrected and did not involve deception of the lender.
James' attorney has accused the Justice Department of fabricating a criminal case as part of Trump's personal vendetta against her. James previously won a significant lawsuit against Trump, securing a judgment that claimed he misled banks and other entities regarding the value of his assets. Although an appeals court overturned a steep fine exceeding $500 million, it upheld a lower court's finding that Trump had committed fraud.
In addition to James, the Justice Department is also investigating mortgage-related allegations against Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, as well as Sen. Adam Schiff from California. Schiff's lawyer has dismissed the allegations against him as "transparently false, stale, and long debunked."
James herself has been a prominent figure in actions against Trump, having sued him and his administration numerous times and leading a lawsuit that accused him of defrauding banks by significantly inflating the values of his properties on financial documents.
This recent indictment of Letitia James thus represents a culmination of ongoing tensions between Trump and legal officials who have challenged his actions, highlighting the contentious political landscape currently prevailing in the United States.
