Letitia James, who prosecuted Trump, indicted for alleged financial institution fraud : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5602x3734+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fca%2F52%2Fac7980374c7b8c591fca3c2f4c7f%2Fgettyimages-21929875081.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5602x3734+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fca%2F52%2Fac7980374c7b8c591fca3c2f4c7f%2Fgettyimages-21929875081.jpg" class="img" alt="New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference on January 8, 2025 in New York City." fetchpriority="high"/> New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James speaks throughout a press convention on January 8, 2025 in New York Metropolis. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photos conceal caption

toggle caption

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photos A federal grand jury in Virginia has indicted New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James on one depend of financial institution fraud and one depend of creating a false assertion to a monetary establishment — prices that come after regular strain from President Trump to prosecute certainly one of his longtime political foes.

James, a Democrat who pledged to analyze Trump throughout her marketing campaign, finally sued Trump and his firm for inflating the worth of a few of its properties, successful greater than $450 million within the civil enterprise fraud case. The monetary penalty was later thrown out on enchantment.

At certainly one of his personal marketing campaign rallies final yr, Trump known as for each James and the decide in that case to "be arrested and punished accordingly." The president has been persistent in his calls since taking workplace, writing "JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED" in a submit on TruthSocial final month that was directed at Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi.

Thursday's indictment accuses James of mendacity on her utility for a $109,600 mortgage to purchase a property in Norfolk, Va. in 2020, alleging she promised her monetary lenders it will be a secondary property for her private use — however that she as a substitute rented it out. The federal government says she benefited from "ill-gotten features" of $18,933 from rental proceeds, a decrease borrowing price and a better vendor credit score.

In a video posted to social media, James denied the fees as "baseless" and criticized the president's actions as a "grave violation of our Constitutional order."

"That is nothing greater than a continuation of the president's determined weaponization of our justice system," James stated. "He's forcing federal legislation enforcement businesses to do his bidding, all as a result of I did my job because the New York State Lawyer Normal."

Federal prosecutors within the Jap District of Virginia spent months on the case this yr. A Republican profession prosecutor there decided there was not sufficient proof to carry a case towards James. Then he was pressured out of his job by the White Home, solely to get replaced by Lindsey Halligan, a former insurance coverage lawyer in Florida with no expertise as a prosecutor.

"Nobody is above the legislation. The costs as alleged on this case characterize intentional, prison acts and great breaches of the general public's belief," Halligan stated in an announcement. "The info and the legislation on this case are clear, and we are going to proceed following them to make sure that justice is served."

Final month, Halligan secured an indictment towards former FBI Director James Comey, who has pleaded not responsible to 2 felony prices.

The costs for James have been pushed partly by Ed Martin, the weaponization czar contained in the Justice Division who traveled to Brooklyn to face exterior certainly one of James's properties, the place he was photographed by The New York Put up.

Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for James, has criticized Martin for concentrating on Democratic lawmakers and different figures to settle scores for Trump.

"We're deeply involved that this case is pushed by President Trump's want for revenge," Lowell stated in an announcement on Thursday. "When a President can publicly direct prices to be filed towards somebody — when it was reported that profession attorneys concluded none have been warranted — it marks a critical assault on the rule of legislation. We are going to struggle these prices in each course of allowed within the legislation."