New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing two federal criminal charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, according to the federal grand jury indictment on Thursday, October 9, in the Eastern District of Virginia. James, a resident of Brooklyn, New York, is accused of falsely claiming that a three-bedroom house she purchased in Norfolk, Virginia, in August 2020, was her secondary residence in order to get a better mortgage deal. Instead, she allegedly used it as a rental investment property. The misrepresentation evidently allowed James to gain nearly $19,000 in note rate savings over the life of the loan. She supposedly further misrepresented her intended use of the Norfolk property on her homeowners’ insurance by indicating it was “owner-occupied, non-seasonal use,” the indictment says.
By contrast, James apparently filed Schedule E tax forms, under the penalties of perjury, and declared the house as a rental property, “reporting fair rental days, zero personal use days, thousand(s) of dollars in rents received, and claiming deductions for expenses relating to the property,” thereby contradicting her second home classification. The NY AG also stands accused of making false statements and reports from around July 2020 through August 2020 in “residential loan applications and related documents,” asserting she would use the Norfolk home as a secondary residence while actually using it as an investment property.
Letitia James Targeted Trump
Ironically, and perhaps hypocritically, James filed a civil fraud lawsuit against President Donald Trump, his three oldest children, two former Trump Organization executives, and ten related companies in 2022. The case ended in a nearly $500 million judgment against Trump and his business, plus accrued interest. But a New York appeals panel threw out the $500 million penalty in August. Two of the five judges upheld the decision; two wanted to order a new trial, and one voted to dismiss the case against Trump. Judge David Friedman opined that James didn’t have the authority to bring the case and that she appeared to be prosecuting it in retaliation for Trump running for president again. She filed an appeal to the ruling in September.
Unlike James’ murky civil case against Trump, the criminal charges against her are relatively straightforward. She either did or did not live in the Norfolk property, and she either did or did not lie on those documents, which will presumably be produced as evidence at trial. But the accusations that Trump made this happen as retaliation have already begun flying.
No One Is Above the Law
James read a statement on her social media accounts on Thursday:
"This is nothing more than a continuation of the president's 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. These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost. The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties."
But it was James who campaigned for New York attorney general in 2018 on a platform to go after Trump. On October 13, 2018, at the top of a list that included corrupt officials, abusive landlords, abusers, and unscrupulous lenders, she wrote: “As the next Attorney General, I’ll take on: Donald Trump.” She famously referred to President Trump as “that man in the White House" and insinuated he “broke the law and cheated the American people." She also accused him of “threatening our fundamental rights” and repeatedly claimed, “No one is above the law,” in reference to Trump.
On Thursday, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia used James’ repeated mantra in a brief press release announcing the case against her. “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,” said US Attorney Lindsey Halligan. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”
James, if convicted, reportedly faces up to 30 years in prison for each of the two counts against her, up to a $1 million fine on each count, and forfeiture of the property.
Reaction among lawmakers fell along party lines. “This is what tyranny looks like,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote on X. “Trump has turned the Department of Justice into his personal attack dog to go after his political enemies.”
Trump, without comment, posted one legal analysis of the criminal case against James on Truth Social on Thursday.
US Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) wrote a lengthy statement on X:
"Her hypocrisy is profound as she campaigned on the mantra that 'no one is above the law,' yet she now faces allegations of committing the very type of financial misrepresentation she baselessly pursued against President Trump. I have spearheaded congressional efforts to expose James' abuses over the past several years through ethics complaints, bar complaints, public demands for investigations and oversight exposing her corruption.”
Media Spin
The chorus of leftist sycophants broke their silence and reported as expected. CNN’s headline on the matter was: “DOJ indicts NY attorney general who defeated Trump in court.” Two of Politico’s headlines on Thursday were, “Letitia James pursued Trump. Then she was indicted,” and “New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump foe, is indicted by Trump’s DOJ.” The Guardian wrote: “Letitia James criminally charged in Trump’s latest effort to punish rivals.”
James’ indictment comes just two weeks after former FBI Director James Comey was charged with lying to Congress and obstruction in relation to his 2020 testimony of the FBI's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
When all is said and done, James’ X post from February 2024, referring to the judgment against President Trump, may turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy:
“When powerful people cheat to get better loans, it comes at the expense of hardworking people. Everyday Americans cannot lie to a bank to get a mortgage, and if they did, our government would throw the book at them. There simply cannot be different rules for different people.”
Rather than accusing Trump of retribution, the left – and the media – should pay attention to the forthcoming evidence at trial. Documents don’t lie. James’ initial court appearance is scheduled for October 24 in Norfolk, Virginia.
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