New York Attorney General Letitia James, who once brought a business fraud case against President Trump, was indicted Thursday in federal court on fraud charges apparently related to a mortgage application she filed on a home in Virginia.
The Justice Department said she was charged with bank fraud and false statements to a financial institution.
“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” said Lindsey Halligan, the acting U.S. attorney in Eastern Virginia. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”
Ms. James, in a video posted to social media denounced the case a “blatant perversion of our system of justice.”
“These charges are baseless,” she said. “The president’s actions are a grave violation of our constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.”
In April the Federal Housing Finance Authority had referred Ms. James, a Democrat, for investigation, saying she claimed a property in Norfolk as her primary residence in order to secure a more favorable loan, even while serving as attorney general in New York.
The FHFA also said Ms. James misrepresented her Brooklyn home in obtaining a loan nearly 25 years ago, and even before that claimed a bogus family relationship to secure another loan.
According to the five-page indictment, Ms. James obtained a loan at 3.000% instead of 3.815% which resulted in “total ill-gotten gains of approximately $18,933 over the life of the loan.”
The loan amount was for $109,600. The property in question, 3121 Perone Ave., Norfolk, Virginia, was purchased for a total of $137,000.
Ms. James was indicted in the same federal judicial district where former FBI Director James Comey appeared this week to face charges of lying to and obstructing Congress.
Both Mr. Comey and Ms. James have been key political opponents of Mr. Trump.
Ms. James brought a case against Mr. Trump in between his terms in office, accusing him and his family of inflating the value of his company.
She won a judgment against them for several hundred million dollars. An appeals court voided the penalty this summer, finding it to be excessive.
The Associated Press said Ms. Halligan presented the case to a grand jury herself.
Mr. Trump installed her in the post after forcing out his previous pick, Erik Siebert, who had resisted filing the Comey case.
Mr. Trump had been itching for Ms. James to face charges.
“It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know,” the president said earlier this year.
Democrats leaped to defend Ms. James and complain about the prosecution.
“This is what tyranny looks like,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. “President Trump is using the Justice Department as his personal attack dog, targeting Attorney General Tish James for the ‘crime’ of prosecuting him for fraud — and winning.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, hailed Ms. James’ “integrity” and “independence.”
“What we’re seeing today is nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable,” the governor said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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