New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing an ethics complaint filed with the New York State Unified Court System following a criminal referral to the Trump Department of Justice.
The complaint alleges that James committed mortgage fraud tied to properties in Virginia and Brooklyn.
The complaint, submitted by the conservative legal group America First Legal (AFL), follows an April 15 letter from Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte to top Justice Department officials, including former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Pulte’s letter accuses James of falsifying property records to secure more favorable mortgage terms, potentially violating federal housing and mortgage laws.
At the center of the allegations are claims that James misrepresented the number of units in a Brooklyn property—allegedly stating the five-family home had only four units—in both building permit applications and mortgage filings.
This misclassification, Pulte claimed, would have qualified her for lower interest rates and reduced payments under the federal Home Assistance Modification Program.
Additionally, Pulte alleges that James falsified information related to her Virginia property in Norfolk, an issue he believes merits criminal investigation and disciplinary review.
Citing Pulte’s allegations, AFL filed a formal ethics complaint with the New York State Bar, calling for an immediate investigation into whether James violated professional conduct rules by deceiving lenders for personal financial benefit.
In the bar complaint, AFL senior litigation counsel Nicholas Barry wrote:
“It appears that Ms. James has repeatedly traded in her integrity for a monetary benefit through deceiving lenders and the public… These actions harm the rule of law and bring disrepute to the profession.”
He urged the New York Bar Committee on Professional Standards to investigate and, if warranted, impose disciplinary action.
Barry also used James’s own language—frequently cited in her cases against former President Donald Trump—against her, stating, “No one is above the law.”
AFL Vice President Dan Epstein echoed that sentiment, asserting,
“If what Director Pulte uncovered is true, then we have a sitting state Attorney General who made false certifications to the United States in return for federal benefits.”
In response, Letitia James has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and “a revenge tour” orchestrated by allies of Donald Trump, whom she has sued multiple times in her official capacity as attorney general.
Speaking to NY1 on April 17, she said:
“I will not be silenced. I will not be bullied. I will not bend. I will not break. And I will not bow to anyone. No one is above the law, including the president of these United States.”
James also said she would respond to the letter “at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way.”
Trump, who has repeatedly accused James of pursuing politically motivated investigations against him and his businesses, called for her resignation in an April 13 post on Truth Social, describing her as a “totally corrupt politician.”
As of now, no formal charges have been filed against James.
The ethics complaint does not carry legal penalties by itself but could lead to disciplinary measures by the bar, including censure or disbarment, if the allegations are substantiated.
The situation raises serious questions about the vetting process for public officials, the intersection of politics and prosecutorial conduct, and how bar associations should respond when attorneys in high office face allegations of professional misconduct.
