Letitia James Indicted on Federal Charges
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted on two federal charges related to alleged homeowners insurance fraud. This development came to light on Wednesday.
A letter from Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Administrator William Pulte included accusations that James might have provided false information to Allstate Insurance, based in Illinois, as well as Universal Property Insurance from Florida.
Pulte directed his concerns to Andrew Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Jason Redding Quinones, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
This legal action follows a federal judge’s dismissal of earlier criminal charges against James just four months prior. Those charges had accused her of mortgage fraud.
Both letters refer to insurance documents that were posted on social media by Mike Davis, a supporter of Trump and head of the judicial advocacy group Article III Project.
The documents allegedly indicate that James informed an Illinois insurance company that her Norfolk, Virginia property, purchased in 2020, was meant to be occupied by a single adult without children. However, it was noted that four individuals, including three children and a niece, were actually living there. This, the housing director claimed, points to potential fraud.
In the case with the Florida insurance, Pulte asserted that James falsely claimed the same Norfolk residence would be unoccupied for five months a year. According to his account, that assertion was incorrect as her niece was residing there throughout the year.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department confirmed that the U.S. attorney had received Pulte’s referral.
James’ legal team quickly dismissed the claims as baseless, characterizing the referral as part of a “revenge campaign.” Attorney Abby Lowell argued that the ongoing attempts to indict James stem from frustration among her political adversaries after previous legal efforts failed.
Lowell emphasized that these tactics are not constructive, suggesting they reflect a neglect of real issues like rising costs of living and a focus on petty political gains instead.
Last November, a U.S. District Judge dismissed the Justice Department’s mortgage fraud case against James, determined that the then-interim U.S. Attorney did not have the authority to pursue an indictment.
Interestingly, two additional federal grand juries later chose not to indict her again. The ongoing mortgage fraud case is closely linked to the property at the center of Pulte’s recent allegations.
