Department of Justice Subpoenas NY Attorney General Letitia James
New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, has received a subpoena from the Department of Justice as part of an inquiry into potential civil rights violations related to former President Donald Trump. This investigation is focused on whether her actions as AG possibly interfered with Trump’s federally protected rights.
Reports indicate that John Sarcone, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, has issued two subpoenas directed at James. One is linked to her civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, while the other pertains to a longstanding investigation involving the National Rifle Association (NRA).
“Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American,” said a spokesperson for James. “We stand firmly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the NRA, and we will continue to defend New Yorkers’ rights.”
James initiated her civil lawsuit in 2022, alleging that Trump, his two adult sons, and certain officials manipulated asset values to inflate his net worth.
“If average New Yorkers went into a bank and submitted false documents, the government would throw the book at them, and the same should be true for former presidents,” James noted at the time.
It remains unclear if the current DOJ investigation relates to recent claims of mortgage fraud involving James concerning properties in Brooklyn and Virginia, claims she has described as “baseless.” The initial referral to the DOJ was made in April by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, who accused James of “falsifying records” to obtain favorable financing for a home she purchased in Norfolk in 2023.
James contends that the Virginia property serves as her “principal residence,” despite her role as New York’s attorney general.
According to Pulte, other documents suggest that James may have exaggerated the number of units in a Brooklyn brownstone she got back in 2001.
A recommendation letter indicated that her alleged actions could lead to serious criminal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, and making false statements to a financial institution.
