New York Attorney General Letitia James has been criminally indicted on federal charges by a grand jury. James, who led a civil fraud investigation against Trump in 2023, was indicted on charges of bank fraud in the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, according to court documents.
Prosecutors accuse James of alleged bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution regarding a mortgage loan for a house in Norfolk, Virginia, the documents state. In a statement, James accused the president - who recently publicly pressured prosecutors to file criminal charges against her - of a 'desperate weaponization of our justice system'.
'He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State attorney general,' she said.
'These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost.'
The US prosecutor assigned to the case, Lindsey Halligan, meanwhile, said the case proved that 'no one is above the law.'
'We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump's desire for revenge,' James's attorney, Abbe Lowell, added.
James's first court appearance is scheduled for October 24 in Norfolk, and the federal government alleges she misrepresented a mortgage loan to obtain favorable terms for a property that was ostensibly an investment rental rather than a secondary residence as claimed. The unfolding situation raises questions about the intersection of law and politics in America, especially as Trump continues to call for criminal prosecution of his political adversaries.
Prosecutors accuse James of alleged bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution regarding a mortgage loan for a house in Norfolk, Virginia, the documents state. In a statement, James accused the president - who recently publicly pressured prosecutors to file criminal charges against her - of a 'desperate weaponization of our justice system'.
'He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State attorney general,' she said.
'These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost.'
The US prosecutor assigned to the case, Lindsey Halligan, meanwhile, said the case proved that 'no one is above the law.'
'We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump's desire for revenge,' James's attorney, Abbe Lowell, added.
James's first court appearance is scheduled for October 24 in Norfolk, and the federal government alleges she misrepresented a mortgage loan to obtain favorable terms for a property that was ostensibly an investment rental rather than a secondary residence as claimed. The unfolding situation raises questions about the intersection of law and politics in America, especially as Trump continues to call for criminal prosecution of his political adversaries.
