New York Attorney General Letitia James, long one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest political adversaries, found herself in the crosshairs of his Justice Department Thursday after being hit with a federal indictment for mortgage fraud.
James, who famously sued Trump for business fraud in 2023, responded defiantly to the charges in a video statement, calling the case “a desperate weaponization of our justice system.”
In a post on X, she added, “I am not fearful—I am fearless. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights.”
The attorney general claimed the indictment was retaliation for her prior legal battles against the president.
This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.
I am not fearful — I am fearless.
We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. pic.twitter.com/X9U0EsHuGM
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) October 9, 2025
She accused Trump of “forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding,” insisting that the case amounted to political retaliation.
“These charges are baseless,” she said, arguing that Trump’s goal was “political retribution at any cost.”
James, who has held office since 2019 after campaigning on promises to hold Trump accountable, was indicted in federal court in Virginia on one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution.
Prosecutors allege she falsified information on loan documents related to a property she purchased in Norfolk, Virginia, under favorable lending terms reserved for personal residences.
INDICTED 🚨
Letitia James falsified records to meet lending requirements, went so far as to put her father as her husband on the application
She faces (30) years in prison and ($1M) in fines
No one's above the law, including you Tish
REMEMBER THIS 👇 pic.twitter.com/PP40m748Ni
— @Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) October 9, 2025
According to the indictment, James took out a mortgage in 2020 using a “second home rider” agreement that required her to occupy the property as her secondary residence.
Investigators say she actually rented the home to another family while claiming it as her own, violating the terms of the loan and securing lower interest rates.
Prosecutors allege she misrepresented the property’s purpose again when applying for insurance and tax documents, actions that saved her nearly $18,000 in interest payments and earned a $3,288 seller credit.
Federal investigators had reportedly been examining James’ financial records since May, reviewing documents tied to her mortgage and related insurance filings.
If convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison for each count, a fine of up to $1 million per charge, and potential forfeiture of her Virginia property.
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Obama, Clinton, Comey, and Brennan are all on the hook!
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The case, being overseen by interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, marks a stunning turn for the Democratic attorney general who built her political brand on holding Trump accountable.
“No one is above the law,” Halligan said in a statement announcing the charges. “The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust.”
James’ initial court appearance is set for October 24 before a magistrate judge in Norfolk.
The indictment comes nearly two years after James secured a $500 million civil judgment against Trump and his business empire over accusations of inflating his net worth to gain favorable financial benefits.
Letitia James was just indicted for BANK FRAUD.
Below is Letitia James accusing President Trump of what she was doing herself…
“What can I indict President Trump for? Well, I know a lot about mortgage fraud, so, yeah, that's what I'll get him on…” pic.twitter.com/VVM7kTAphg
— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) October 9, 2025
Although an appeals court later vacated the monetary penalty in August, it upheld key portions of the case, keeping potential penalties on the table. Both sides have appealed the ruling.
In her video statement Thursday, James insisted she would “stand strongly” by her previous prosecution of Trump, saying her case was based on “facts and evidence—not politics.”
The indictment has sparked a political firestorm across Washington and Albany, with reactions breaking sharply along partisan lines.
Republicans called the case a long-overdue reckoning for an attorney general they say used her office as a political weapon, while Democrats denounced the prosecution as an authoritarian act by the Trump administration.
BREAKING: Letitia James @TishJames INDICTED for mortgage fraud.
Hmm
Let me throw this one right back at you Tish. (See picture)But you are innocent until proven guilty. We are honest about these things. So we will uphold our standards. pic.twitter.com/qrgN3LMqDO
— THE TRUTH ☦️ (@JohPersso) October 9, 2025
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said James’ indictment was “the ultimate hypocrisy.”
“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,” Stefanik remarked.
She added that she had “spearheaded congressional efforts to expose James’ abuses over the past several years through ethics complaints, bar complaints, and demands for investigations.”
Democratic leaders, however, came to James’ defense. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted the charges as “tyranny,” claiming Trump was “targeting Attorney General Tish James for the ‘crime’ of prosecuting him for fraud—and winning.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., echoed Schumer’s outrage, calling the indictment “an abuse of power” and “a weaponization of government at its most outrageous and egregious.”
He accused the president of pursuing political vendettas instead of addressing economic issues.
“Rather than focusing on the grocery and utility bills crushing American families, Donald Trump remains pathologically preoccupied with his personal enemies list,” Torres said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul also condemned the indictment, claiming it amounted to “nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department.”
Now isn’t this ironic ?? The very people that used the power of their office was a “weapon”, even changing laws to allow them to create fake cases against Trump. Their crimes of “mortage fraud” by politicians is very probably a crime most politicians are guilty of and should be prosecuted. Seeing how much punishment James could get shows that mortgage fraud is serious stuff. Politicians are infamous for pulling the “do you now who I am” ploy when stopped by law enforcement. If the law reads as I understand them A.G. James doesn’t have a foot to stand on. Her abuse/violation as well as Adam Schiff ‘s should be a slam dunk. James was indicted bt a Grand Jury not by Trump or Bondi. The Grand Jury is the people. James not only manipulated the law but had a NY Supreme Court justice , Arthur Engoron assisting her in the case claiming to know land valuation in Florida. This was a case with no “injured parties. Bo banks lost any money. No individuals lost money. I even doubt that James was the one that created the case in the first place. This case seems like one the DNC paid lawyers to come up with and fond a compliant attorney to take. I hope she gets her “just deserts”. and gets the 30 years behind bars. .