New York AG Letitia James indicted for alleged fraud following pressure from Trump
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted on charges of alleged fraud, becoming the second political figure in a span of two weeks to face prosecution after President Donald Trump's public demand that the Justice Department move "now" to charge his political enemies.
James, who successfully brought a civil fraud case against Trump last year and leads multiple lawsuits challenging his administration's policies, was indicted on a federal charge of bank fraud and a charge of making false statements to a financial institution.
Newly appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan announced the charges Thursday. James was ordered to appear in court on Oct. 24 in Norfolk, Virginia.
Halligan was named U.S. attorney by Trump after Trump ousted her predecessor, Erik Siebert, who sources say had expressed doubts internally about bringing cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey.
As ABC News first reported, sources said Siebert and other career prosecutors in Virginia determined there was no clear evidence James had knowingly committed mortgage fraud, but Trump officials nevertheless pushed Siebert to bring criminal charges against her.
"It looks to me like [James] is very guilty of something, but I really don't know," Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office in September when he confirmed he wanted Siebert "out" of the job.
"This is nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system," James in a statement following the indictment. "He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General."
"These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost," she said.
Prosecutors allege that James misled a bank in order to get more favorable terms on a loan, specifically claiming that a property was going to be a residence, when, according to prosecutors, it was going to be rented out for profit.
However, following a five-month investigation and interviews with more than a dozen witnesses, federal prosecutors uncovered no clear evidence against James, sources told ABC News.
"No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public's trust," Halligan said in a statement Thursday announcing the charges. "The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served."
Halligan last month brought an indictment against Comey on charges of making a false statement and obstruction related to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, just days after Trump issued a public demand for his Justice Department to act "now" to bring prosecutions against Comey, James, and California Sen. Adam Schiff.
"Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, and Leticia???" Trump wrote in a social media post directly addressing Attorney General Pam Bondi. "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!"
Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday and will seek to have his case dismissed for vindictive prosecution.
