New York attorney general indicted in fraud case

A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted Letitia James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The charges relate to a mortgage she took out to purchase a property in Norfolk, Va. James allegedly secured favorable loan terms when she claimed the property would be her second residence and not an investment property, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors claim she did not live at the home and instead rented it out. If convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each charge. She is due to appear in court for the first time later this month. James investigated Trump in 2020 for allegedly lying about his wealth to bolster his businesses and secure tax benefits.

How did James respond? She claimed President Donald Trump had weaponized the judicial system against his political opponents. James called the charges baseless and said she would continue serving her state. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan, who previously served as a personal attorney to Trump, brought the charges against James after her predecessor Erik Siebert resigned. He had resisted pressure from Trump to charge the attorney general.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about former FBI Director James Comey pleading not guilty to criminal charges.