Letitia James indicted on fraud charge: AP source says
NY AG Letitia James indicted on fraud charges
A federal grand jury indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on bank fraud charges. FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay has the latest developments.
NEW YORK - A federal grand jury indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on a fraud charge Thursday, according to a person familiar with the case, as reported by the Associated Press.
What we know:
Letitia James was indicted on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution following a presentation to a grand jury in Virginia by a recently appointed U.S. attorney. The indictment comes after months of tension between James and President Donald Trump.
James responded to the indictment on X, calling it "nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system." She added, "I am not fearful — I am fearless," vowing to "fight these baseless charges aggressively" and continue protecting New Yorkers and their rights.
The Trump administration has been investigating James for months over allegations of mortgage fraud, which she has denied.
When the accusations first surfaced, James’ office called them "intimidation" from Trump’s team.
Who is Lindsey Halligan?
The backstory:
The Trump administration, two weeks ago, pushed out Erik Siebert, the veteran prosecutor who had overseen the investigation for months but had resisted pressure to file a case, and replaced him with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who was once Trump’s personal lawyer but who has never worked as a federal prosecutor.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 07: Lindsey Halligan, Karoline Leavitt, Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump attend the Men's Singles Final on Day 15 of the 2025 US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Septemb
Halligan presented the case to the grand jury herself, as she did in the case against Comey, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Letitia James indictment
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
What they're saying:
Trump has been advocating charging James for months, posting on social media without citing any evidence that she’s "guilty as hell" and telling reporters at the White House, "It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know."
James, a second-term Democrat, has denied wrongdoing. She has said that she made an error while filling out a form related to the home purchase but quickly rectified it and didn’t deceive the lender.
The Source: This report is based on information from the Associated Press.