In Latest Political Prosecution, Trump’s DOJ Indicts New York AG Letitia James

A federal grand jury indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on two criminal counts Thursday.

The charge comes after President Donald Trump publicly ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to go after his perceived enemies more aggressively last month.

The case against James was brought by Lindsey Halligan, one of Trump’s former personal lawyers turned acting U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of Virginia. Trump installed Halligan, who had no prosecutorial experience, after forcing the district’s former U.S. attorney out of his post for raising concerns about the case against James and other Trump critics.

“This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system,” James said in a statement. “We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights.”

“I am not fearful — I am fearless,” she added.

The indictment against James accused her of committing bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution over a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia. If  convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison on both counts.

According to the indictment, prosecutors allege James “knowingly execute and attempt to execute a scheme and artifice to defraud” by misrepresenting property as her primary residence to obtain more favorable loan terms. Legal experts note that such “occupancy fraud” charges are rare to sustain and seldom make it to court unless accompanied by clear evidence of intent. 

James’ case was initially assigned to U.S. District Judge Jamar Walker, an appointee of former President Joe Biden and a former prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Trump has long vowed to get revenge on James, who won a multi-million dollar judgment against the Trump Organization and whose office has challenged several aspects of his political agenda.

Earlier this year, the state attorney general was accused by Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and one of Trump’s favored political attack dogs, of committing mortgage fraud over the purchase of a home in Virginia in 2023 based on preliminary loan documents obtained by Pulte.

Halligan brought the indictment before the grand jury over the recommendations of Elizabeth Yusi, who oversees major criminal prosecutions in the Eastern District of Virginia, according to MSNBC. Yusi told colleagues in recent days that she planned to tell Halligan that she does not have probable cause to believe James engaged in mortgage fraud.

Several current and former Justice Department officials privately told reporters that the case appeared to bypass normal review processes. The indictment was reportedly presented to the grand jury without the sign-off of the Eastern District’s Criminal Division, a break from standard procedure.

James is scheduled to appear for arraignment later this month and is the second high-profile official to be criminally charged following Trump’s order to Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue charges against his foes. 

Trump publicly berated Bondi for “moving too slowly” in prosecuting his political enemies. In a Truth Social post, Trump explicitly named “Democrats like James, Comey, and Schiff” calling them “corrupt” and in need of “real accountability.”

Within days, Bondi appointed Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s former legal adviser during the Mar-a-Lago documents probe, as acting U.S. Attorney in Virginia. Halligan’s appointment bypassed Senate confirmation and was criticized as a clear conflict of interest. 

Former FBI Director James Comey was charged with two criminal counts last month. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in a federal court Wednesday. 

In addition to James and Comey, the DOJ has been investigating Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton, who became a prominent critic of the president after being dismissed in 2019. 

The FBI raided Bolton’s home in August as part of an investigation into whether he illegally shared or possessed classified information.

Prosecutors in Maryland are expected to bring charges against Bolton in coming days, the Wall Street Journal reported citing White House officials.

Trump’s social media post last month chiding Bondi for not going after James, Comey and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) aggressively enough was meant to be a private message, the Journal also reported.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for additional details.