Grand jury declines to re-indict Letitia James on mortgage fraud

A federal grand jury in Norfolk, Va., on Thursday declined to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James a second time on charges related to mortgage fraud. She was grateful to the jurors for their decision and said the charges were baseless, according to a Thursday statement. She earlier accused President Donald Trump of using the justice system as a tool for revenge for her own lawsuits and investigations of him and his family business.

The grand jury’s dismissal of the charges on Thursday came after a federal judge in November dismissed James’ previous indictment for one count of making false statements to a financial institution and one count of bank fraud. She pleaded not guilty to the charges. Federal prosecutors alleged that James falsely claimed a property as a second home while renting it to her niece. The judge dismissed the case without prejudice, allowing federal prosecutors to try again.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the previous dismissal of the case against James.