New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James has been indicted on federal prices of financial institution fraud. The indictment comes after months of President Donald Trump pressuring the Justice Division to prosecute James and different Trump critics, regardless of severe questions concerning the case. James has pledged to combat in opposition to what she frames as political persecution.
James pledges to combat ‘baseless’ fraud prices regarding mortgage
As CNN reported, James was charged Thursday by a federal grand jury in Virginia with financial institution fraud and making false statements to a monetary establishment. The 2 counts relate to a 2020 mortgage James obtained for a property in Norfolk, Virginia, and allege that she falsely portrayed it as a second residence relatively than a rental property to safe a extra favorable mortgage charge. James is alleged to have saved over $18,000 by way of the second residence classification. James was defiant in her response to the costs, which she and lots of supporters see as retaliation for her prosecution of Trump and the Trump Group for fraud in 2024.
“That is nothing greater than a continuation of the president’s determined weaponization of our justice system. He’s forcing federal regulation enforcement companies to do his bidding, all as a result of I did my job because the New York State lawyer basic,” James mentioned in a video assertion launched shortly after information of the indictment broke. “These prices are baseless, and the president’s personal public statements clarify that his solely objective is political retribution at any price,” James continued. “I’m a proud lady of religion, and I do know religion and concern can not share the identical area,” James declared, pledging to combat the “baseless prices in opposition to me.”
Beneath strain from Trump, the administration targets his political foes
The indictment comes after vital strain from Trump for the Justice Division to go after James and different adversaries. In September, Trump posted an offended message on social media — presumably supposed to be a personal message — wherein he ordered U.S. Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi to go after James, in addition to Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and former FBI Director James Comey.
“What about Comey, Adam “Shifty” Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all responsible as hell, however nothing goes to be achieved,” Trump posted. “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Trump added within the message. Trump additionally compelled the resignation of U.S. Lawyer for the Japanese District of Virginia Erik Siebert, who refused to push felony prices in opposition to James and Comey. Trump’s handpicked alternative, Lindsey Halligan, pursued prices, even over objections from inside her workplace. Comey was indicted on doubtful prices of mendacity to Congress, which he argues are baseless and examples of “vindictive prosecution” by the Trump administration.
The costs in opposition to Comey and now James are half of a bigger sample of the Trump administration retaliating in opposition to political foes. Along with James, Trump officers have made related mortgage fraud allegations in opposition to Schiff and Federal Reserve Board governor Lisa Cook dinner, whom Trump has to this point unsuccessfully tried to take away from her place primarily based on the questionable allegations. The Trump administration has, for instance, fired FBI brokers who kneeled in the course of the 2020 protests over the killing of George Floyd and tried to retaliate in opposition to brokers concerned within the January 6 investigations as effectively. Trump just lately threatened to have Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson arrested for opposing his administration’s aggressive ICE raids; Trump has additionally focused Chicago for Nationwide Guard intervention, as he has different Democratic-led cities.
Collectively, these actions paint a disturbing image of abuse of energy to settle scores and take revenge in opposition to Trump’s adversaries. Now, the indictment of James takes this pattern to a harmful new stage, with the Trump administration in search of to prosecute a public official who prosecuted Trump. Having pressured the Justice Division to do his bidding, the indictment in opposition to James might not be the final occasion of politicized prosecution underneath the Trump White Home.
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