New York AG Letitia James faces federal mortgage fraud indictment
A federal grand jury in Virginia indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on October 9, 2025, for bank fraud and making false statements related to mortgage applications. NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani defended James the next day, calling the charges political retribution by the Trump administration. Conservatives on social media mocked James by resurfacing her past statements about no one being above the law.
On October 9, 2025, a grand jury in Virginia indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment stems from a criminal referral by Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte in April 2025, alleging James falsified mortgage records to secure favorable loans. Specifically, for a Norfolk, Virginia, home purchased in 2023, James listed it as her primary residence on mortgage documents and a Fannie Mae form, despite being legally required to reside in New York as a statewide official. The referral also cited discrepancies in a 2001 Brooklyn property purchase, where the certificate of occupancy listed it as a five-unit residence, but James' mortgages described it as four units.
James, a longtime adversary of President Donald Trump, has pursued numerous legal actions against him, including a 2024 civil fraud case against Trump and the Trump Organization that resulted in a nearly $500 million judgment. Her office filed 100 challenges against Trump's first administration and vowed to continue defending New Yorkers' rights after his 2024 reelection.
On October 10, 2025, socialist NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani held a press conference with local leaders to defend James. "This is a shameless act of political retribution," Mamdani said, adding that James told him after the indictment, "Don't worry about me." He described her as confident in her legal team and criticized Trump for targeting her due to her opposition. Mamdani warned that the case exemplified an "authoritarian administration" punishing critics. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded, criticizing Mamdani's ideology as harmful to working families.
James stated the charges were Trump's "political retribution at any cost." U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan for the Eastern District of Virginia noted James faces up to 30 years per count and $1 million fines, calling the alleged acts "intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust."
Social media erupted with conservative mockery, resurfacing James' February 2024 X post: "Roses are red. Violets are blue. No one is above the law. Even when you think the rules don’t apply to you." Influencer Benny Johnson posted, "This aged perfectly." GOP Rep. Mike Lawler and others highlighted the irony, with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik calling James "the most corrupt AG in the nation."