Letitia James Tries to Toss Mortgage Fraud Case, Blames Trump

New York Attorney General Letitia James has formally asked a federal judge to throw out the mortgage fraud case brought against her, arguing the prosecution is rooted in political retaliation driven by President Donald Trump.

In a filing submitted Friday, James’ legal team portrayed the charges as a personal vendetta. The motion recounts years of hostile public remarks made by Trump following James’ civil lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization.

According to the motion, “This lawsuit, and AG James’ outspoken criticism of the President, triggered six years of targeted attacks. President Trump and his allies have used every insulting term in their vocabulary to deride AG James and call for criminal penalties in retaliation for the exercise of her rights and fulfillment of her statutory duties to fulfill her obligations as New York state’s attorney general.” The filing cites Trump describing James as “crooked,” “scum,” “a monster,” and “criminal.”

James is accused of falsifying information on mortgage paperwork to secure better loan terms on a home in Norfolk, Virginia, where she has relatives. She pleaded not guilty last month and stated outside the courthouse that the Trump administration had turned the justice system into a “tool of revenge.”

Her attorneys also pointed to what they say is selective prosecution. In the filing, the defense argues that federal authorities have pursued James “while ignoring apparent inconsistencies in the mortgage records of numerous other public officials.” They argue that the conduct described in the indictment mirrors the actions of several prominent political figures who were never investigated or charged. “The only meaningful difference between AG James and these individuals is that AG James is a Democratic Attorney General who spoke out against the President, while the others are his allies and cabinet members,” the motion claims.

The filing draws a comparison to the prosecution of James Comey who has also pleaded not guilty and has argued the case against him was driven by retaliation. Both prosecutions were handled by U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a relatively unknown Trump appointee with no prior prosecutorial record. Halligan was named to the role after the administration forced out the previous U.S. Attorney, Erik Siebert, who had overseen both matters but never filed charges. After Siebert’s departure, Trump posted on social media urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to move forward with cases involving his political opponents, declaring that the administration “can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” and “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

James, the first woman ever elected New York Attorney General, has long been on Trump’s radar, particularly following her successful civil case accusing him of inflating property values to defraud lenders. The ruling resulted in a massive judgment against Trump and his company, but was later thrown out on appeal.

Promotional Content

Letitia James Tries to Toss Mortgage Fraud Case, Blames Trump