The indictment comes just weeks after former FBI Director James Comey was charged in a separate, highly controversial case…reports Asian Lite News
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been charged in a mortgage fraud investigation, a move critics say was strongly influenced by pressure from former President Donald Trump. The indictment, announced Thursday, marks the latest high-profile target of Trump’s efforts to pursue his political adversaries through legal channels.
James, who has repeatedly challenged Trump in court—including a landmark lawsuit accusing him of inflating his real estate holdings to secure loans—faces charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The case follows a presentation to a grand jury in Virginia by Lindsey Halligan, a prosecutor recently appointed amid the Trump administration’s push to deliver criminal cases against individuals considered political opponents.
Her legal team swiftly rejected the allegations, describing the case as politically motivated. “This is an attempt to retaliate against AG James for pursuing justice against former President Trump and his companies,” said her lawyer, Abbe Lowell.
The indictment comes just weeks after former FBI Director James Comey was charged in a separate, highly controversial case, underscoring the Trump administration’s unconventional approach to law enforcement. In both instances, prosecutors with limited experience in federal criminal law replaced career officials who had resisted political pressure, raising questions about the independence of the investigations.
Trump has repeatedly called for James to be charged, posting on social media that she is “guilty as hell,” and telling reporters, “It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know.”
The origins of the James investigation trace back to April, when Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte requested a probe into James’ 2023 purchase of a home in Norfolk, Virginia. A two-page power-of-attorney form indicated she intended to use the property as her principal residence. Pulte suggested this might have allowed her to avoid higher interest rates applied to secondary homes. James acknowledged a minor error on the form, which was promptly corrected, and insisted she did not mislead any lender.
Beyond the mortgage issue, James has long been a political adversary to Trump. Last year, she secured a significant judgment against him and his companies for inflating asset values, a ruling partially upheld on appeal. Her indictment is seen by many as a continuation of the Trump administration’s aggressive legal strategy targeting former critics.
As the case proceeds, it highlights the growing tensions between politics and law enforcement in the United States, raising questions about precedent, the role of federal prosecutors, and the influence of high-profile political figures in criminal investigations.
