Letitia James indicted for bank fraud after she weaponized the law against Trump
New York attorney general Letitia James (D) was charged with bank fraud by a federal grand jury after pressure from President Trump to hold her accountable, the New York Post reports.
Democrats are condemning the indictment as an act of political retribution. It's an ironic complaint, coming after James and other Democratic prosecutors weaponized the law in an effort to bankrupt Trump and put him in prison on spurious charges.
Letitia James charged
In fact, James campaigned for her office with an explicit pledge to take down Trump, making no secret of her political motive. With a Trump-hating judge at her disposal, James won a $500 million penalty against Trump and his business as he campaigned to reclaim the White House last year.
Earlier this year, an appeals court vindicated Trump by tossing the staggering penalty.
In her bogus case against Trump, James had accused the president and his business of inflating his net worth to secure better loans.
Ironically, James now stands accused of defrauding banks, the very thing she accused Trump of doing.
Mortgage fraud
According to the indictment, James secured $19,000 in loan savings by lying on her mortgage application for a three-bedroom, one-bathroom home in Norfolk, Virginia.
James had bought the house in August 2020 but has allegedly never lived there, despite listing it as a secondary residence. The scheme allowed James to obtain favorable loan terms on the home, which she actually used as an investment property.
“This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General," James whined.
“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” she added. “The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.”
No One Above The Law
The charges against James come after pressure from Trump, who had voiced disappointment to attorney general Pam Bondi with the Justice Department's inaction against James and others. The case was filed by US Attorney Lindsey Halligan, who replaced another prosecutor who declined to pursue James.
“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” US Attorney Lindsey Halligan said in a statement. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”
James, 66, faces up to 60 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million if convicted on both counts of bank fraud and making false claims to a financial institution.
Democrats can complain all they want about "weaponization," but they said it first: no one is above the law.