Federal probe into New York attorney general stalls over lack of evidence: Report
Despite prosecutors’ doubts, NBC says White House and senior officials pressed federal attorneys to pursue charges against Letitia James
ISTANBUL
A US federal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime adversary of President Donald Trump, has ground to a halt because prosecutors and agents say they lack enough evidence to secure a conviction, NBC reported Wednesday, citing two senior federal law enforcement officials.
She is also known for bringing a civil fraud case against Donald Trump. Last month, a New York appellate court overturned the $500 million penalty imposed on the US president in that case, ruling the fine unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment’s ban on excessive fines.
Trump hailed the ruling as a “TOTAL VICTORY” and denounced it as the “FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case.”
James faces allegations of mortgage fraud linked to a Virginia home she purchased in 2023. She has denied any wrongdoing and described the case as politically motivated, per her attorney Abbe Lowell.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia has convened a grand jury, but prosecutors so far have declined to seek an indictment, the report says.
One official told the media outlet that there was “not nearly enough clear and convincing evidence” to show James knowingly made false statements to a financial institution to obtain a more favorable mortgage rate.
Despite that assessment, NBC said, the White House and several senior administration officials have pushed federal prosecutors to pursue charges.
The referral that triggered the probe was filed in April by Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. His letter to the Justice Department alleged that James falsified documents connected to three properties—her Virginia home and two in New York—in order to meet lending requirements and receive better loan terms.
According to the report, James and her attorney argue the issue stems from a single document incorrectly designating the Virginia property as her primary residence. They say the error was isolated and that other loan records accurately described the house as a secondary property.
