Letitia James indictment: What are the charges against New York Attorney General?
Letitia James, New York's Attorney General, has been criminally indicted for bank fraud linked to her Virginia property purchase.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been criminally indicted on federal bank fraud charges tied to a property purchase in Virginia. However, James denied all wrongdoing and called the case a “desperate weaponisation of our justice system,” as reported by the BBC. James was obligated to personally use the property as a secondary residence rather than as a rental investment
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What are the charges against Letitia James?
According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the New York Attorney General has been charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The charges are related to her purchase of a three-bedroom property in Norfolk, Virginia.
Prosecutors alleged that James obtained a mortgage by stating the Virginia home would serve as her secondary residence, with her primary home located in Brooklyn, New York. However, court documents claim that she instead leased the property to a family of three. Prosecutors allege that James was obligated to personally use the property as a secondary residence rather than as a rental investment.
Additionally, prosecutors claimed that she financially benefited from this “misrepresentation," saving $18,933 (£14,229) by obtaining a lower interest rate, as reported by the BBC. In a statement, US Department of Justice attorney Lindsey Halligan said, “No one is above the law.”
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James called the charges ‘baseless’
James previously stated that she made an error while filing the paperwork for the property; however, it was corrected. She called the charges “baseless” and took direct aim at US President Donald Trump.
She said, “He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State attorney general," as reported by the BBC.
Later, Abbe Lowell, James's attorney, said she would "fight these charges in every process allowed in the law". The attorney added, "We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump's desire for revenge."
