“My faith is strong, and I have this belief in the justice system and the rule of law, and I have a belief in America,” James said in a press conference. “There’s no fear today.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James has pleaded not guilty to the Trump administration’s charges of mortgage fraud, claiming that the White House is trying to use the justice system as a “tool of revenge” against its political opponents.
According to The Associated Press, James, who submitted her plea of not guilty to a Virginia-based federal court, is one of several of the president’s adversaries to find herself suddenly subject to legal proceedings. Aside from James, the administration is also pursuing charges against former FBI director James Comey and former national security advisor John Bolton.
Unlike James, both Comey and Bolton served under Trump during his first term.
The round of charges, all levied against Trump’s political opponents, have sparked further concerns that the Trump administration is using the federal Department of Justice as a cudgel against its most prominent and outspoken critics.
In James’s case, the attorney general said the charges are about a “justice system which has been used as a tool of revenge … and a weapon against those individuals who simply did their job and stood up for the rule of law.”
“My faith is strong, and I have this belief in the justice system and the rule of law, and I have a belief in America,” James said in a press conference. “There’s no fear today.”
Abbe Lowell, an attorney representing James in the case, told the court that the defense will ask that the case be dismissed, arguing that it is clearly a “vindictive” prosecution ordered at the behest of President Donald Trump.
James, adds The Associated Press, was indicted earlier this month after the prosecutor originally overseeing the case was forced out by the Trump administration. She is being charged with bank fraud and “false-statements charges in connection with a 2020 home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia.” During the sale of the home, James signed a standard document called a “second home rider,” in which she agreed to keep, use, and maintain the property for her “personal use and enjoyment for at least one year,” unless the lender agreed to an alternate arrangement.
The indictment alleges that, rather abiding by the terms of the rider, James instead rented the home to a family of three.
James, for her part, has asked for an order prohibiting federal prosecutors from speaking to the media about the investigation and case materials outside of court.
PBS notes that the Justice Department is also investigating mortgage fraud allegations against Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California; in Schiff’s case, Trump demanded criminal charges over claims relating to the senator’s acquisition of real property in Maryland.
Similar charges are pending against Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook, who has challenged the administration’s decision to remove her from what was, in the past, considered a nonpartisan role.
Sources
Letitia James pleads not guilty in mortgage fraud case
New York Attorney General Letitia James pleads not guilty in mortgage fraud case pushed by Trump
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