New York Attorney General Letitia James charged in fraud case after pressure campaign by Trump

"WASHINGTON (AP) - New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted Thursday in a mortgage fraud case that President Donald Trump urged his Justice Department to bring after vowing retribution against some of his biggest political enemies. James, a Democrat who infuriated Trump after his first term with a lawsuit alleging that he built his business empire on lies about his wealth, was charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020."

"In a lengthy statement, James decried the indictment as "nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system." "These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost. The president's actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties," she added."

"The indictment, two weeks after a separate criminal case charging former FBI Director James Comey with lying to Congress, is the latest indication of the Trump administration's norm-busting determination to use the law enforcement powers of the Justice Department to pursue the president's political foes and public figures who once investigated him."

New York Attorney General Letitia James faces indictment on bank fraud and false-statement charges tied to a 2020 Norfolk home purchase. President Donald Trump publicly urged the Justice Department to bring the case after vowing retribution against political enemies. The top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia, a former Trump aide, personally presented the case to a grand jury after being placed in the role amid administration pressure. The indictment followed an unconventional path similar to a recent case charging former FBI Director James Comey. James called the charges baseless and said they represent weaponization of the justice system.

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