Attorney General Letitia James Issues Statement on Donald Trump's Weaponization of the Department of Justice

[Quiet Em]

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued the following statement after she was indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s office of the Eastern District of Virginia.

“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.

“His decision to fire a United States Attorney who refused to bring charges against me – and replace them with someone who is blindly loyal not to the law, but to the president – is antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country. This is the time for leaders on both sides of the aisle to speak out against this blatant perversion of our system of justice.

“I stand strongly behind my office’s litigation against the Trump Organization. We conducted a two-year investigation based on the facts and evidence – not politics. Judges have upheld the trial court’s finding that Donald Trump, his company, and his two sons are liable for fraud.

“I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space. 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.”

https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-letitia-james-issues-statement-donald-trumps-weaponization

Tish is not going to be intimidated by that petty, weak, con artist.

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. What is she charged with?

Did Trump’s central casting prosecutor Lindsay bring this indictment as well?

[Quiet Em]

2. Yup. Halligan, again.

[peppertree]

9. Another source of "lip service" for Jabba-the-Trump, no doubt

The Dear Leader has needs.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. "bank fraud" (I read elsewhere on DU). Might be the crutch they always rely on: mortgage fraud

Interesting side note: tRump lackey Bill Pulte (of massively wealthy home builder family fame), heading US federal mortgage agencies, also accused Lisa Cook, Federal Reserve governor, of mortgage fraud.

But Pulte's parents (the massively wealthy homebuilders) made tax claims on a couple of their homes that amounts to tax fraud. Their state took notice and took action against them this year.

[maxsolomon]

7. And Adam Schiff.

Basically, Pulte pulled the mortgage docs of Trump's enemies and combed through looking for anything that could be used, then turned it over to the DOJ (and the Right-Wing Noise Machine).

[pat_k]

18. A bit more background in post 14

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220709536#post14

[MarineCombatEngineer]

6. Supposedly 1 count of mortgage fraud,

the only fraud here is this illegal regime.

[surfered]

10. I think she is charged with taking a loan claiming it was on her primary residence when it wasn't.

For the record, Texas AG Ken Paxton (R) has three loans on three properties claiming all of them were is primary residence. DOJ is not investigating him.

[pat_k]

17. See post 14. The indictment involves a different purchase and different charge (but is nevertheless likely crap)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220709536#post14

[avebury]

12. There was a page on a document where the box was checked that

makes it look like the purchased property was to be James' primary residence. So they are claiming that she committed fraud.

On NIcole Wallace's show they mentioned that there were at least 2 other documents where it was clearly spelled out that it was not James' primary residence. The speculated that the Grand Jury were only shown the document with the check mark.

I think that once a jury sees the entire loan file the Prosecutor's case will fall apart.

[pat_k]

15. No. That was the debunked case on the 2023 purchase. The likely BS Indictment is on a 2020 purchase.

See Post 14:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220709536#post14

[pat_k]

14. The debunked case was related to a 2023 purchase. This is related to a 2020 purchase. Nevertheless, likely bullshit.

The thoroughly debunked case involved their attempt to get her on mortgage fraud for a 2023 purchase of a home she made as a co-borrower with her niece. In that case, she gave her niece power of attorney to sign for her. In the power of attorney form, the property was mistakenly identified as her primary residence. In fact, it was to be the primary residence of her niece and she cleared up the confusion and the loan was made on that basis.

The indictment today involved a property she purchased in August 2020. She signed a "Second Home Rider." That is a rider that indicates you will use the home as a second home for the first year. They are accusing her of violating that rider by renting the property.

While she may have rented the property, as alleged, it appears that as of 2019, guidance on the meaning of a Fannie Mae Second Home Rider was "clarified" to allow short-term rental in the first year. After the first year, you can do with the property what you like.

I do not know if the rider she signed was a "Fannie Mae" rider, but if it was, I would bet that she rented the property within the terms as allowed by the clarified guidance and that Halligan is taking the former "strict interpretation" of no rental allowed within the first year.

From AI:

A "second home rider" on a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage can allow a borrower to rent their second home for a year under specific conditions, following a 2019 revision that clarified the rules on renting. Previously, the rider's strict language was interpreted by many lenders to prohibit any renting, leading to confusion and hesitation. The current rider allows for short-term rentals in the first year, but the property must primarily be for the owner's use, and after the first year, restrictions on renting are lifted, and the owner no longer needs to seek permission from the lender to rent the property.

[Irish_Dem]

3. This is what courage looks like.

More courage than most are showing these days.

[choie]

5. I hate that.motherfucker (trump)

With a hatred that knows no bounds.

[Johonny]

8. Under Trump, nothing good can happen

Only bad can happen.

[dsc]

11. One thing that rarely gets mentioned in coverage of these cases (hers and Schiff's)

is that neither one got the lower rates they supposedly were trying to get. These seems to be a highly relevant thing that, again, almost never gets mentioned.

[pat_k]

19. Remains to be seen. This indictment isn't related to the 2023 debunked case. It is related to a 2020 purchase

... where the distinction is between a property that will primarily be a second home for a year (i.e., Second Home Rider signed) and one that is being purchased as a rental/investment property.

There is a difference in mortgage rate there, but, contrary to what is being reported, you are not actually barred from short-term rental of the "Second Home" property in the first year. More in Post 14:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220709536#post14

[dsc]

20. OK that is my bad

I had assumed it was the 2023 thing.

[Botany]

13. Very well said!

- " is antithetical to the bed rock principals
of this country."

[AllaN01Bear]

16. the revenge department and the just us system.

[UTUSN]

21. K&R