New York attorney general criminally indicted
New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges.
James, who led a civil fraud investigation against Trump in 2023, was indicted on bank fraud charges in the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, according to court documents.
Prosecutors charged James with alleged bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution regarding a mortgage loan for a home in Norfolk, Virginia, the documents say.
In a statement, James accused the president, who recently publicly pressured prosecutors to file criminal charges against him, of “desperately weaponizing our justice system.”
“As I do my job as attorney general of New York State, he forces federal law enforcement to do his bidding,” he said.
“These accusations are baseless, and the president’s public statements make clear that his sole purpose is political revenge at any cost.”
Meanwhile, Lindsey Halligan, the US prosecutor assigned to the case, said the case proved that “no one is above the law”.
“The charges alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and monumental violations of the public trust,” he said.
“The facts and law in this case are clear, and we will continue to pursue them to ensure justice is served.”
Trump appointed Halligan, his former personal attorney, to oversee the case following the resignation of another U.S. attorney, Erik Siebert. Siebert was reportedly fired after telling the justice department that he could not find enough evidence to charge James.
James’ first hearing will be held in Norfolk on October 24.
The federal government alleges that James purchased a three-bedroom home in Norfolk using a mortgage loan, which required him to use the property as his second residence and did not allow for shared ownership or “time sharing” of the home.
The indictment alleges that the property was “not occupied or used” by James as a second residence, but was instead “used as a rental investment property” rented to a family of three.
Prosecutors allege the “misrepresentation” allowed James to obtain favorable loan terms that would not have been available for an investment property.
Halligan said James could face up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million (£751,755) if convicted.
James’ lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said: “We are deeply concerned that this lawsuit stems from President Trump’s desire for revenge.”
Last month, Trump called on U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi, who runs the justice department, to prosecute his political opponents, including James, in a social media post.
“We cannot delay any longer, it is killing our reputation and credibility,” he wrote.
James was one of several Trump opponents mentioned in this post. He also called on Bondi to investigate former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted shortly after taking office. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday after being charged with making false statements to Congress.
It was reported that the justice department also launched an investigation into Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton and California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.
In a civil fraud case brought by James, Trump was found liable for falsifying records to obtain better loan deals and was fined $500 million (£375 million) as a result. The sentence was thrown out by an appeals court, which called the sentence excessive, even though it ruled that Trump was liable for fraud.
During the trial, Trump frequently attacked James outside the courtroom and accused her of waging a “political witch hunt” against him. James said the courts have ruled that Trump “is not above the law.”
James said Thursday that his office stands by its lawsuit against Trump and his organization.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said James’ indictment “is nothing more than a weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.”
The New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union called it “the latest in a long list of brazen abuses of power by President Trump.”
