Trump Says He Wants Removal of U.S. Attorney Overseeing Probe into Letitia James
President Donald Trump Friday said he wants Erik Siebert, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, removed because two Democratic Senators voted to confirm him to the position.
Siebert, who Trump nominated in May, is overseeing two high-profile investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to seek retribution against James, who won a multi-million dollar judgment against the Trump Organization, and Comey, who has become a prominent Trump critic.
ABC News reported Friday that Trump officials were pushing for Siebert’s removal for failing to indict James after his office was unable to find evidence that she knowingly committed mortgage fraud when she purchased a home in Virginia in 2023.
Asked if he wanted Siebert fired over a failure to indict James, Trump said he wasn’t following the James investigation but added that “she looks very guilty of something.”
The president added that he wanted Siebert dismissed because Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats from Virginia, voted for him.
“Yeah, I want him out,” Trump says. “When I learned that they voted for him, I said ‘I don’t really want him.’”
Siebert’s probe into James came after she was accused of committing mortgage fraud based on documents obtained by Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who has quickly become Trump’s favored attack dog.
After subpoenas were issued in August, the investigation into James reached a standstill. Though investigators were unable to gather evidence strong enough to make them confident they could get a conviction if the case were to go to trial, Pulte and other officials pushed for an indictment, according to ABC News.
In addition to the James probe, Siebert’s office is also investigating Comey over claims that he lied under oath while testifying before Congress.
Siebert has raised concerns about the cases against James and Comey and the legal viability of bringing charges against them, according to the New York Times.
U.S. attorneys have until recently been seen as independent law enforcement agents.
When several U.S. attorneys were fired by the White House during the George W. Bush administration, in part for a failure to prosecute voter fraud cases, the scandal led to a congressional investigation and ultimately the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Pulte has leveled similar accusations against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, who stands in the way of Trump’s attempt to take over the central bank, and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), one of Trump’s longtime political opponents.
Late Update, 7:25 PM ET: Just hours after Trump’s remarks, Siebert submitted his resignation under pressure from the administration.
Siebert’s top deputy, Maya Song, is also stepping down from her leadership role, though she plans to remain in the office as a line prosecutor.
Siebert has not yet made a public statement fully explaining all of the reasons for his resignation.