A federal grand jury in Virginia has indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on a bank fraud charge. The indictment follows public calls by President Donald Trump for charges against James, whom he has accused without presenting evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
In 2022, James brought a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, his three oldest children, and the Trump Organization, alleging persistent financial fraud through the inflation of asset values and the misrepresentation of his net worth by billions of dollars over a decade. This alleged fraud was used to secure favorable loans and insurance terms while deflating them for tax purposes.
In February 2024, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled against Trump, ordering him and his company to pay over $450 million in disgorgement and interest, citing years of fraudulent conduct. Although an appeals court later overturned the financial penalty in August 2025, it upheld the finding that Trump committed fraud.
The indictment is alarming as a sitting president directed it to an Attorney General, who is supposed to be apolitical. The president reportedly thought he was sending AG Pam Bondi a direct message, but instead, he published his directive publicly on his Truth Social platform.
On September 20, Trump posted:
"Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done ... JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!"
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump believed he was sending a private message. Officials told The WSJ that Trump was "surprised to learn" that the message he thought was private had gone public. Bondi herself was reportedly so upset by the post that she contacted White House aides and the president directly. Trump quickly followed up that read: "Pam Bondi is doing a GREAT job as Attorney General of the United States."
James' indictment was returned on Thursday. She was charged with one count of bank fraud after allegedly misrepresenting her primary residence on mortgage filings for a property in Norfolk, Virginia, to obtain more favorable loan terms. Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and a Trump appointee, presented the case to the grand jury—a rare move for a U.S. attorney.
Halligan, who lacks prior prosecutorial experience, was recently installed after Trump fired her predecessor for not bringing cases against his political rivals, including James and former FBI Director James Comey, who Halligan also recently brought charges against.
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lib224
"I told you so," is about all you can say to Trumpers. He ruins nearly everything that he touches.
Friday, October 10 Report this
Lktinsanfran
Trump has turned the presidency into a pulpit for enacting revenge against those who brought legal action, or said anything derogitory, against him. It is a travestity.
Friday, October 10 Report this
Graciela0107
The charge against Letitia James, misrepresenting her primary residence on mortgage filings for a property in Va. to obtain more favorable loan terms, are the same charges brought against Lisa Cook, Federal Reserve Governor. However, Ms. Cook’s purchase was in Ga. It is probably coincidental that both are women of color. And, it is probably the only charges Lindsey Halligan has rehearsed with other lawyers since she has no prosecutorial experience after graduating from law school.
Friday, October 10 Report this