A federal grand jury indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday for charges of bank fraud and falsifying statements. Her indictment comes two weeks after another jury indicted James Comey, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and critic of President Donald Trump, for allegedly making false statements and obstructing proceedings.

In an Oct. 9 statement, James called the charges “baseless” and said they represent “nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.”

The indictment centers on a three-bedroom property in Norfolk, Virginia that James purchased for about $137,000 in August 2020. To obtain a fixed-rate mortgage at a 3 percent interest rate, James allegedly said the property would be a “secondary residence.” Instead, according to the indictment, James used the property for “rental investment,” allowing her to save “approximately $17,837” over the loan’s term.
According to The New York Times, James’ grandniece, Nakia Thompson, has lived in the Virginia home with her family since it was purchased five years ago. In June, she testified to a Norfolk jury that she did not pay rent while living there.

James reportedly stays at the property several times a year to visit family. In 2020, she reported collecting between $1,000 and $5,000 in rental income from the property. James did not report collecting rent from the home since that year.

In August, NBC News reported that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed a “special attorney” to investigate allegations of mortgage fraud related to James and Sen. Adam Schiff of California, both Democrats. At the time, Bondi selected Ed Martin, a conservative activist and former interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, to investigate Schiff and James.

James has successfully won lawsuits against Trump and conservative organizations like the National Rifle Association. A federal judge last year entered judgment of about $450 million against Trump, his sons Eric and Donald Jr. and two Trump organization executives for fraudulently lying about his net worth and property values. An appeals court tossed out the fine for being excessive, but upheld the fraud verdict.

Last December, James secured a judgment requiring the NRA to reform its internal governing procedures to comply with New York’s not-for-profit laws. A jury in February 2024 ordered Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s former CEO and executive vice president, to repay nearly $4.4 million to the organization that he spent on private luxuries.

In September, federal prosecutors in Virginia, led by U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, reportedly believed they did not obtain enough evidence to indict James. Trump then pressured Siebert to resign before nominating senior White House aide Lindsey Halligan as the interim head prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia. Only Halligan’s signature appears on the indictment.

“No one is above the law,” Halligan said in a Department of Justice statement. “The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust. The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

Several Democratic politicians rallied in support of James. On X, Gov. Kathy Hochul called the indictment “nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.” In a press release, State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 said she believed the legal action was an “overreach of authority” and a “perversion of the justice system.”

If convicted, James could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine per charge, according to the Department of Justice.

“I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space,” James wrote in a statement. “And so today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job.”