Overview
- A federal grand jury in Alexandria declined to charge the New York attorney general on Thursday after a Norfolk grand jury rejected the case last week, according to multiple reports.
- Prosecutors tried to revive the case days after a judge set aside the original indictment, with sources noting it is unusual for federal grand juries to refuse charges at the probable-cause stage.
- The allegations center on claims that James identified a Norfolk house as a second home rather than an investment property to secure better terms, an advantage prosecutors estimated at about $19,000 over the life of the loan.
- James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, called the repeat refusals proof the case is baseless and politically driven, pointing to pressure from President Donald Trump to pursue James.
- Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed the initial James and James Comey cases without prejudice over the unlawful appointment of interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan, and further attempts face policy, evidentiary, and timing hurdles highlighted by legal analysts.