New York Attorney General Letitia James — the Democrat who made her name by taking on former President Donald Trump — was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Virginia on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
The indictment alleges that James falsely claimed a Norfolk, Virginia home was her second residence to qualify for favorable mortgage terms, while actually renting the property to a family. Prosecutors say the alleged misrepresentation saved her nearly $19,000, NBC News reported.
If convicted, James could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count.
James, who led the high-profile civil fraud case that resulted in a $500 million judgment against Trump before an appeals court later threw it out, blasted the charges as “baseless” and politically motivated.
“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 in a statement and accompanying video on X. “The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order.”
The case was brought by Acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan — a longtime Trump attorney who was installed last month after the previous U.S. attorney, Erik Siebert, reportedly resisted bringing charges and resigned under pressure. Halligan, who has no prior prosecutorial experience, personally presented the case to the grand jury, a break from Justice Department norms.
Halligan defended the charges in a statement Thursday, saying the allegations represent “intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust.”
James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, fired back, accusing the administration of using the Justice Department as a political weapon.
“When a president can publicly direct charges to be filed against someone — when career attorneys reportedly concluded none were warranted — it marks a serious attack on the rule of law,” Lowell said. “We will fight these charges in every way the law allows.”
Her first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Norfolk before U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker, a Biden appointee.
The White House declined to comment.
Trump, meanwhile, celebrated the indictment online, repeating his frequent claim that his opponents “must face justice.”
It’s the latest in a string of prosecutions targeting Trump’s political adversaries. Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted in September on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding — another case presented by Halligan.
Democrats swiftly condemned James’ indictment as a dangerous politicization of the Justice Department.
“This isn’t justice. It’s revenge,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. “And it should horrify every American who believes no one is above the law.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul echoed that sentiment, writing on X that Americans are witnessing “nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.”
Republicans largely defended the move. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said Trump “can’t make a grand jury do anything,” while Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri called the charges “accountability.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has often been critical of Trump, said he hoped prosecutors “did their homework and have a valid basis for the indictment.”
Legal experts note that while the standard for indictment — probable cause — is relatively low, securing a conviction would require proving beyond a reasonable doubt that James knowingly made false statements with intent to defraud.
The political stakes are enormous. The prosecution of one of Trump’s fiercest critics comes as his administration faces growing scrutiny for its pattern of pursuing former officials and political opponents, a practice his allies defend as “equal justice” and his critics call an unprecedented abuse of power.