New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia, facing charges of bank fraud and making false statements related to a mortgage she took out in 2020 for a property in Norfolk, Virginia.
According to the Department of Justice, James signed a “second home rider” asserting that the Norfolk property would be used as a secondary residence. Prosecutors claim that instead, she rented it out, which allowed her to receive more favorable loan terms than she would have qualified for had the home been classed as an investment property.
The indictment alleges that her misrepresentation saved her approximately $18,933 in interest payments.
U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, who presented the case to the grand jury, characterized the charges as serious breaches of public trust.
James strongly denied wrongdoing, calling the indictment “politically motivated” and an example of weaponization of the Justice Department. Her legal team, led by Abbe Lowell, vowed to fight the charges.
She is scheduled to appear in court in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 24, 2025, to respond to the charges.
The case follows other recent criminal charges brought against high-profile figures perceived as political adversaries of former President Trump, heightening concerns over the use of prosecutorial power in politically charged contexts.
