Fbi Opens Formal Investigation Into Ny Ag Letitia James, Who Doj Says ‘unethically’ Campaigned On ‘getting Donald Trump’

The FBI and the US Attorneys Office for the Northern District of New York have launched a formal criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud.

In announcing the probe, US Attorney John A. Sarcone III took a swipe at James’s 2018 campaign rhetoric about investigating President Donald Trump.

The US attorney said James “unethically ran around the state campaigning on getting Donald Trump,” and essentially accused her of finding a criminal target without an alleged crime.

He added:

We stand prepared to act in the capacity that we need to when and if we are informed there’s a charge to be made. Unlike Letitia James, who unethically ran around the state campaigning on getting Donald Trump… my office conducts itself in a manner that is proper and professional.

Albany’s Times Union newspaper reported the investigation into James centers on allegations that she misrepresented key information on mortgage applications for two properties – one in Virginia and another in Brooklyn.

She has been accused of falsely claiming a Virginia home as her primary residence in 2023 while being legally required to reside in New York.

The Brooklyn property, purchased in 2001, also includes alleged discrepancies regarding residency status.

The case stems from a criminal referral issued last month by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte. The referral alleges that James may have falsified property records and misled lenders to receive government-backed loans and other favorable mortgage terms.

James has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated, pointing to her office’s civil fraud case against Trump. That case ultimately resulted in a $354 million judgment against the president, which also bars his

During her 2018 campaign for attorney general, James publicly stated she intended to pursue legal action against Trump and investigate his business dealings in New York.

While campaigning, James vowed to shine a “bright light into every corner” of Trump’s “real estate dealings.” Her critics — including Trump himself — would later argue that her civil lawsuit against him was a political witch hunt.

Dan Abrams, who founded Mediaite, said after Pulte’s referral was made public that he was surprised it had not gotten more traction in the media.

“When I first heard that the attorney general had been referred, there was a criminal referral made by the director of the federal Housing and Finance Agency, my initial response was, ‘Oh boy, here we go. Trump is just weaponizing the departments and in this case making a reference to the DOJ, and I’m sure this was all nonsense,'” he said.

Abrams added, “But then I actually read what they were alleging. This is real. This is serious, and I think this could mean big trouble for the attorney general.”

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