New York Legal professional Normal Letitia James (D) pleaded not responsible in a mortgage fraud case introduced weeks after President Trump pressured his Justice Division to prosecute his most distinguished political foes.
The New York Occasions reported James stated to the courtroom: “Not responsible, choose, to each counts” when requested how she wished to plead.
James appeared Friday morning earlier than U.S. District Choose Jamar Walker, an appointee of former President Biden, for her arraignment in federal courtroom in Norfolk, Va.
She faces counts of financial institution fraud and false statements to a monetary establishment over allegations she misrepresented her plans for a Virginia residence, permitting her to acquire favorable mortgage phrases.
The indictment says James falsely claimed in mortgage paperwork that she would use a house she bought in Norfolk, Va., in 2020, as a secondary residence, however as a substitute, rented it to a household of three. The alleged misrepresentation resulted in higher phrases that saved her practically $19,000, it says.
The allegations in opposition to James originated with the Federal Housing Finance Company (FHFA), whose director, Invoice Pulte, filed a legal referral in opposition to her in April. He has filed comparable complaints in opposition to Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Prepare dinner.
James made an enemy of Trump by taking up his enterprise empire for civil fraud.
She received a virtually half-billion-dollar judgment in opposition to the president and his corporations final 12 months after a New York choose discovered Trump and different defendants inflated his internet price for tax and insurance coverage advantages.
However an appeals courtroom wiped the penalty in August, regardless of in any other case preserving the case intact. Each Trump and James’s workplace have appealed.
After she was charged, James stated she stands “strongly” behind her case in opposition to Trump’s empire, which she described as primarily based on “the facts and evidence — not politics.” The identical can’t be stated of the Justice Division’s case in opposition to her, she claimed.
“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” the highest New York prosecutor stated.
Solely weeks earlier than James was indicted, Trump wrote on to Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi on Reality Social and urged her to maneuver extra shortly to prosecute his political adversaries, together with James, Schiff and former FBI director James Comey.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump stated on Sept. 20. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 instances!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
It was later reported that the publish was supposed to be a direct message.
Comey was charged 5 days later over 2020 congressional testimony in regards to the bureau’s investigation into Russian ties to Trump’s 2016 marketing campaign. He pleaded not responsible to counts of false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional continuing on Oct. 8, a day earlier than James was indicted.
Each instances had been introduced by Lindsey Halligan, a former White Home aide Trump handpicked to function interim U.S. legal professional for the Japanese District of Virginia after the earlier high prosecutor, Erik Siebert, resigned amid stress to indict Trump’s foes.
Halligan lately got here below scrutiny for texting a authorized journalist in regards to the reporter’s tweets relating to a New York Occasions report detailing obvious grand jury testimony.
Comey has moved to dismiss his fees on the idea that Halligan was unlawfully appointed, along with alleging he’s a goal of selective and vindictive prosecution at Trump’s behest.
Schiff is reportedly below federal investigation in Maryland for mortgage fraud, as effectively, after Pulte submitted a legal referral claiming he designated properties each there and in California as “principal” residences. He has denied wrongdoing.
