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1h ago

Federal Grand Jury Indicts Letitia James Over 2020 Virginia Mortgage

The case fuels scrutiny of DOJ independence following the replacement of a career U.S. attorney, with an interim appointee personally presenting the matter to a grand jury.

FILE - New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks, Feb. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
Chris Hayes; Letitia James
U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan "did not coordinate" the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James with Attorney General Pam Bondi or other leaders at the Department of Justice, according to CNN. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
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Overview

  • A grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia charged New York Attorney General Letitia James with bank fraud and making false statements tied to a 2020 Norfolk property.
  • Prosecutors allege she claimed the home as a secondary residence to secure better terms while using it as a rental, yielding about $18,933 in benefits over the life of the loan.
  • The prosecution was led by interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan after the departure of career U.S. attorney Erik Siebert, with Halligan unusually presenting the case herself.
  • James denies wrongdoing, calls the case political retribution, and points to contemporaneous documents including an email stating the property would not be her primary residence.
  • She was not arrested and is summoned to appear in Norfolk on October 24, with legal experts questioning the case’s strength and noting such mortgage prosecutions are uncommon despite severe statutory penalties.