New York Attorney General Letitia James Indicted On Fraud Charge
5 hours ago
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime foe of President Donald Trump, was indicted for bank fraud on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said, as the administration seeks to use government power against those who have pursued investigations into him or publicly resisted his agenda.
Trump, a Republican who campaigned for reelection in part on a vow of retribution after facing a slew of legal woes since his first term in the White House ended in 2021, has repeatedly assailed James on social media and at political rallies as a partisan enemy.
The indictment of James comes after a grand jury in Virginia on September 25 indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation. Comey has said he is innocent. Trump has regularly assailed Comey's handling of the FBI investigation that detailed contacts between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.
James is one of several Democratic state attorneys general who have sued to block Trump administration actions. She is best known for bringing a civil fraud case against Trump and his family real estate company in 2022. The case resulted in a $454.2 million penalty against Trump after a judge found he fraudulently overstated his net worth to dupe lenders.
A New York state appeals court in August threw out the penalty, which had grown to more than a half-billion dollars with interest, but upheld the trial judge's finding that Trump was liable for fraud. Both Trump and James' office are appealing to the state's highest court.
Trump denied wrongdoing. He has accused James' office of bringing the case against him for political reasons.
Trump, a Republican who campaigned for reelection in part on a vow of retribution after facing a slew of legal woes since his first term in the White House ended in 2021, has repeatedly assailed James on social media and at political rallies as a partisan enemy.
The indictment of James comes after a grand jury in Virginia on September 25 indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation. Comey has said he is innocent. Trump has regularly assailed Comey's handling of the FBI investigation that detailed contacts between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.
James is one of several Democratic state attorneys general who have sued to block Trump administration actions. She is best known for bringing a civil fraud case against Trump and his family real estate company in 2022. The case resulted in a $454.2 million penalty against Trump after a judge found he fraudulently overstated his net worth to dupe lenders.
A New York state appeals court in August threw out the penalty, which had grown to more than a half-billion dollars with interest, but upheld the trial judge's finding that Trump was liable for fraud. Both Trump and James' office are appealing to the state's highest court.
Trump denied wrongdoing. He has accused James' office of bringing the case against him for political reasons.
