Letitia James Requests Review of Grand Jury Process

New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking information from the grand jury that indicted Lindsey Harrigan. This comes after a judge identified significant investigative mistakes in Harrigan’s handling of the case against former FBI Director James Comey.

James is requesting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia to provide specific records from the grand jury that charged her with bank fraud related to allegations of misinformation on mortgage documents for a Virginia vacation home.

Her request follows a ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, which indicated that Harrigan, appointed by Trump as the key district prosecutor, made “fundamental misstatements of the law” before the grand jury that indicted Comey for lying to Congress.

James’ attorney, Andrew Boss, stated in a Monday filing, “As in the James Comey case, this court should review the entire grand jury transcript and the audio recording of the proceedings in Alexandria to assess whether there were similar misstatements of law in this case that could undermine the integrity of the grand jury process.”

James’ legal team aims to examine parts of the grand jury proceedings to ensure proper procedures were followed. “To ensure that an impartial and properly indicted grand jury is empowered and that proper procedures are followed in the grand jury room, Attorney General James is seeking disclosure of the four narrow categories of grand jury materials described above,” Boss explained.

James is set to go on trial on January 26, but she is trying to dismiss the case on several grounds, including alleged misconduct in Harrigan’s appointment and issues regarding the prosecution itself.

The Attorney General has been indicted concerning her purchase of a three-bedroom, one-bathroom home in Norfolk, which she bought with a loan of $109,600 on August 17, 2020. She’s accused of making false statements regarding the property’s intended use, claiming it was primarily for her use and that renting it out wasn’t her intention. Prosecutors, however, argue that she rented it out, having moved her grandmother in and profiting from the situation.

James has pleaded not guilty to these charges.

The recent ruling by Fitzpatrick claimed there were “serious investigative errors and an alarming pattern of errors that could potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury process.” He highlighted that Harrigan improperly referenced privileged attorney-client communications and suggested to jurors that not testifying might be held against Comey.

U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff is overseeing both the trials for James and Comey and has put Fitzpatrick’s order on hold while he considers arguments from federal authorities regarding the ruling.

Comey, indicted on September 25 for lying to Congress and obstruction of justice related to his testimony before the Senate in September 2020, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial on January 5.