New York State Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted on federal charges by a grand jury.
James, who led the civil fraud investigation into Trump in 2023, was charged with bank fraud in the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, according to court documents.
Prosecutors charged James with making false statements to a financial institution and bank fraud in connection with a home mortgage loan in Norfolk, Virginia, documents show.
In a statement, James accused the president, who recently publicly pressured prosecutors to file criminal charges against him, of “desperately weaponizing our judicial system.”
“He is forcing federal law enforcement to do his bidding, all because I served as New York State Attorney General,” she said.
“These accusations are baseless and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political revenge at any cost.”
U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, who prosecuted the case, said the case demonstrated that “no one is above the law.”
“The allegations made in this case are willful, criminal acts and represent an egregious breach of public trust,” she said.
“The facts and law of this case are clear, and we will continue to follow them to ensure justice is served.”
Trump appointed Halligan, his former personal attorney, to oversee the case after another U.S. attorney, Eric Siebert, resigned. Siebert was reportedly ousted after telling the Justice Department that he had not found enough evidence to charge James.
James’ first court appearance is scheduled for October 24 in Norfolk.
The federal government alleges that James used a mortgage to purchase a three-bedroom home in Norfolk, which required him to use the property as a secondary residence and did not allow for joint ownership or “time sharing” of the home.
The indictment alleges that the property was “never occupied or used” by James as a secondary residence and was instead “used as a rental investment property” that was being rented out to three families.
The “misrepresentations” allowed James to obtain favorable loan terms that were not available for investment properties, prosecutors allege.
Halligan said if convicted, James could face up to 30 years in prison on each count and a fine of up to $1 million (£751,755) on each count.
James’ attorney, Abe Lowell, said, “We are deeply concerned that this incident was driven by President Trump’s desire for revenge.”
Last month, President Trump took to social media to urge Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute political opponents, including James.
“We cannot delay any longer. This is damaging our reputation and credibility,” he wrote.
James was one of several Trump opponents mentioned in the post. He also asked Bondi to investigate former FBI Director James Comey, who was criminally indicted shortly after taking office. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday after being charged with making false statements to Congress.
The Justice Department has also reportedly opened investigations into President Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California.
In a civil fraud case brought by James, Trump was accused of falsifying records to secure better loan deals and was fined $500 million (£375 million). The appeals court dismissed the fine, finding it excessive, but argued that President Trump was responsible for the fraud.
While the case progressed, Trump frequently attacked James outside the courtroom, accusing her of conducting a “political witch hunt” against him. James said the court ruled that President Trump is “not above the law.”
James said Thursday that he supports his office’s lawsuit against Trump and his organization.
New York Gov. Cathy Hochul, a Democrat, said James’ indictment was “nothing more than the Department of Justice using its weapons to punish those it holds accountable.”
The New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union called the incident “the latest in President Trump’s long list of brazen abuses of power.”
