New York Attorney General Letitia James is accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing the federal government after a federal agency referred her for possible criminal prosecution related to alleged mortgage fraud.
This marks the latest instance of the administration following through on President Trump’s promise to go after his political opponents. Trump has already revoked James’ security clearance, despite no criminal charges being filed, and did the same to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who secured a historic conviction in the hush money case against the president.
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte submitted the criminal referral involving James to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. In his letter, Pulte accuses James of falsifying bank documents and property records in order to gain access to government-backed assistance and favorable loan terms, citing several media reports.
Trump amplified those claims on his Truth Social platform Monday, posting a story about the referral with the caption: “Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY. Everyone is trying to MAKE NEW YORK GREAT AGAIN, and it can never be done with this wacky crook in office.”
James, for her part, previously led a successful $464 million civil fraud case against Trump, his companies, and other defendants, focused on the misrepresentation of assets. Trump is currently appealing that ruling.
A spokesperson for the New York Attorney General’s Office responded to the referral by saying, “Attorney General James is focused every single day on protecting New Yorkers, especially as this Administration weaponizes the federal government against the rule of law and the Constitution. She will not be intimidated by bullies no matter who they are.”
When asked for comment, a representative for the White House referred inquiries to the FHFA and the Justice Department. The DOJ, in turn, pointed to remarks made by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi during a Wednesday morning interview, where she said she had only just become aware of the referral.
“No one in my office has read it yet,” Bondi said. “We haven’t looked at it. Of course, we’ll be reviewing it.”
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