New York Attorney General Letitia James, who famously led the civil fraud case that resulted in a $355 million judgment against Donald Trump, is now facing federal criminal charges she calls politically motivated.
According to a federal grand jury filing, James was indicted Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in Alexandria, Virginia, on two felony counts of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
The charges stem from a 2020 mortgage for a Norfolk, Virginia, property prosecutors allege was misrepresented as a “second home” when it was instead used as a rental investment.
Federal prosecutors claim the misrepresentation allowed James to secure a lower mortgage rate, allegedly saving her about $18,933 over the life of the loan. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Norfolk.
In a video statement posted to social media, James denounced the charges as an extension of what she described as President Trump’s ongoing attempts to punish his political opponents.
“It is nothing more than a continuation of the President’s desperate weaponization of our justice system,” James said. “He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as a New York State Attorney General. These charges are baseless, and the President’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost.”
James went on to accuse Trump of violating “our constitutional order” by firing federal prosecutors who refused to bring charges against her and replacing them with loyalists.
“This is the time for leaders on both sides of the aisle to speak out against this blatant perversion of our system of justice,” she said.
The indictment follows months of escalating tension between Trump and James. The pair’s animosity dates back years, culminating in a civil trial last year where a New York judge found Trump, his company, and two of his sons liable for fraud after James’s office proved they had inflated property values to obtain favorable loans.
Trump, who has long accused James of conducting a politically motivated “witch hunt,” has appealed the decision. His frustration was visible throughout the trial, where he publicly berated James as a “political hack.”
Now, in a twist that many of her supporters see as retaliation, James herself faces the kind of courtroom scrutiny she once directed at the former president.
According to CNN, prosecutors in Virginia initially concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge James earlier this year. But after U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert resigned — reportedly under political pressure — Trump’s former personal attorney Lindsey Halligan was appointed to lead the office. Halligan later announced the indictment, calling the alleged conduct “a tremendous breach of the public’s trust.”
“No one is above the law,” Halligan said in a statement. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”
The White House has not commented on the indictment, but critics from both parties have expressed concern about what they see as the Justice Department’s deepening politicization.
James, for her part, appears unshaken. Ending her statement with a verse from scripture, she vowed to continue serving the people of New York.
“I’m a proud woman of faith,” she said. “And as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job.”
Her case will be closely watched in the coming weeks — not only for its legal implications but also for what it might signal about the state of American justice in an increasingly polarized political era.
