Mr. James’s defense by fellow New York Democrats stands in sharp contrast to the prosecution of New York Mayor Eric Adams just over a year ago.
FBI begins investigation against New York Attorney General Letitia James
The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into New York State Attorney General Letitia James, multiple news outlets have reported.
New York Democrats rallied around state Attorney General Letitia James, who was indicted in federal court in Virginia.
The indictment, returned Oct. 9, alleges that James committed bank fraud related to a mortgage loan he received to purchase a home in Virginia. President Donald Trump, the man James filed her lawsuit in 2022, had asked her to file weeks earlier.
James, 66, a Democrat who lives in Brooklyn, said she is not intimidated by what she calls “baseless accusations.” Her allies in Albany, Washington DC, and New York City were equally powerful.
“What we are seeing today is nothing less than the weaponization of the Department of Justice to punish those who hold those in power accountable,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an X post.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow Brooklyn Democrat, said James “has bravely led and successfully challenged the Trump administration’s lawless and deeply unpopular overreach.”
“She has always followed the facts, applied the law and been guided by the Constitution,” Jeffries said in a statement.
State Republican Party: “No one is above the law”
Meanwhile, the New York Republican Party echoed Lindsey Harrigan, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in announcing the charges: “No one is above the law.”
“For years, Letitia James has unlawfully used her office as a weapon to conduct a political witch hunt against her Democratic political opponents, particularly President Donald J. Trump,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, an upstate New York Republican who is challenging Hochul for governor.
Three years ago, Mr. James sued Mr. Trump, his companies, and some family members, alleging that they fraudulently inflated the value of Mr. Trump’s assets to get better loans and insurance terms. A state judge agreed and ordered Trump to pay a fine of approximately $454 million. The Manhattan-based appeals court found the penalties inappropriate, but maintained certain business restrictions. James was appealing that decision.
In September, former U.S. Attorney Eric Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia reportedly concluded there was not enough evidence to charge James. Mr. Siebert resigned after President Trump demanded his removal. Mr. Harrigan, the president’s former personal attorney, immediately replaced Mr. Siebert.
“This is what tyranny looks like,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Brooklyn Democrat, told the X-Post. “President Trump is using the Department of Justice as a personal attack dog, targeting Attorney General Tish James for the ‘crime’ of prosecuting and winning fraud charges.”
New York Democratic Party’s response differs from prosecution of Mayor Eric Adams
The rush by fellow New York Democrats to defend James stands in sharp contrast to another federal indictment, that of New York Mayor Eric Adams.
In 2024, under the Biden administration, federal prosecutors indicted Adams on corruption charges, which the mayor denied. Democrats called for his resignation, especially after the Trump Justice Department intervened to dismiss the case.
As with James’ prosecution, federal prosecutors also resigned over the case. But in Adams’ case, prosecutors resigned in exchange for Adams dropping criminal charges in exchange for aiding immigration enforcement. Adams denied there was an agreement to dismiss the case.
City Hall officials did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on James’ indictment.
Her indictment comes less than a month before New York’s November 4 mayoral election. Mr. Adams recently withdrew his likely bid for re-election.
James was investigating independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo when the former Democratic governor was accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. A spokesperson for Cuomo’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
State Rep. Zoran Mamdani, a front-runner in the mayor’s race and the likely Democratic candidate, sided with James against “baseless accusations” of “political vendetta.”
“The Attorney General has supported us many times,” he said in a statement. “We have something for her.”
Contributor: Aisha Bagki
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Contact us via email (emcuevas1@usatoday.com) or Signal (emcuevas.01).
