Federal Grand Jury Rejects Indictment Against New York Attorney General Letitia James for Second Time in Seven Days
A federal grand jury has declined to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges for the second time in as little as seven days, a move that is being hailed by her lawyers as an embarrassing blow to the Trump Justice Department. The decision marks a stunning reversal of fortunes for prosecutors who had been working to bring charges against the AG.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the Justice Department attempted to refile new charges against James following a judge's dismissal of the initial case after determining that the prosecutor handling it had not been properly appointed. However, the latest grand jury rejected the fresh allegations, leaving prosecutors with little choice but to regroup and re-strategize.
The decision by a federal grand jury is extremely rare, as only prosecutors appear before them and defendants do not. The power dynamics at play are stark, with some arguing that prosecutors can essentially "indict a ham sandwich" thanks to their significant influence over the proceedings. Critics of the Justice Department's actions have accused President Trump's administration of using its powers to pursue a political vendetta against one of his rivals.
James was originally charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement in connection with a home in Norfolk, Virginia in 2020. Prosecutors alleged that she had committed a crime by indicating on mortgage paperwork that the purchase would serve as her second home, but then rented it out. However, experts have said that the allegations against James are thin on evidence and that she denies wrongdoing.
The case has been marked by controversy from the outset, with career prosecutors being fired after questioning the viability of the charges. The initial presentation was handled by Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally installed as acting US Attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, who was later found to have been improperly appointed to the post.
A federal judge had already dismissed the case in November, ruling that Halligan's appointment was defective and that the prosecution had failed to meet its burden of proof. The Justice Department attempted to refile the case last week before a new grand jury in Norfolk, but ultimately saw it rejected. It remains unclear whether they will attempt to refile charges against James again.
James' lawyers have denounced the latest development as an "unprecedented rejection" that underscores the need for greater accountability and integrity within the Justice Department. Abbe Lowell, who represents James, said: "For the second time in seven days, the Department of Justice has failed in its clear attempt to fulfill President Trump's political vendetta against Attorney General James." He warned that any further attempts to revive the discredited charges would be a "mockery of our system of justice."
A federal grand jury has declined to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges for the second time in as little as seven days, a move that is being hailed by her lawyers as an embarrassing blow to the Trump Justice Department. The decision marks a stunning reversal of fortunes for prosecutors who had been working to bring charges against the AG.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the Justice Department attempted to refile new charges against James following a judge's dismissal of the initial case after determining that the prosecutor handling it had not been properly appointed. However, the latest grand jury rejected the fresh allegations, leaving prosecutors with little choice but to regroup and re-strategize.
The decision by a federal grand jury is extremely rare, as only prosecutors appear before them and defendants do not. The power dynamics at play are stark, with some arguing that prosecutors can essentially "indict a ham sandwich" thanks to their significant influence over the proceedings. Critics of the Justice Department's actions have accused President Trump's administration of using its powers to pursue a political vendetta against one of his rivals.
James was originally charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement in connection with a home in Norfolk, Virginia in 2020. Prosecutors alleged that she had committed a crime by indicating on mortgage paperwork that the purchase would serve as her second home, but then rented it out. However, experts have said that the allegations against James are thin on evidence and that she denies wrongdoing.
The case has been marked by controversy from the outset, with career prosecutors being fired after questioning the viability of the charges. The initial presentation was handled by Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally installed as acting US Attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, who was later found to have been improperly appointed to the post.
A federal judge had already dismissed the case in November, ruling that Halligan's appointment was defective and that the prosecution had failed to meet its burden of proof. The Justice Department attempted to refile the case last week before a new grand jury in Norfolk, but ultimately saw it rejected. It remains unclear whether they will attempt to refile charges against James again.
James' lawyers have denounced the latest development as an "unprecedented rejection" that underscores the need for greater accountability and integrity within the Justice Department. Abbe Lowell, who represents James, said: "For the second time in seven days, the Department of Justice has failed in its clear attempt to fulfill President Trump's political vendetta against Attorney General James." He warned that any further attempts to revive the discredited charges would be a "mockery of our system of justice."
this is just crazy 
another grand jury rejects indictment for Letitia James in like 7 days 
what's going on? I don't get it. First they can't bring her down and now they're trying again with new charges? It feels like they're just trying to waste everyone's time 
. And what about all those career prosecutors who got fired for questioning the viability of the charges? That's not right 
.
I mean, experts say the allegations against her are thin on evidence and she denies wrongdoing 
. And now it seems like the Justice Department is just trying to prove a point and look good in front of Trump 
.
this kind of politics-driven prosecution can't be allowed to happen in our country 
. We need people to hold their power accountable 
, not make up charges that will never stick 
.
The Trump Justice Department is trying to bring charges against New York AG Letitia James for mortgage fraud, but the grand jury keeps rejecting them. It's like they're stuck in a loop! 
This is super rare and suggests that prosecutors might be overreaching or going after someone just because they're a rival.
And who knows, maybe this will lead to some changes in how the department operates? 
like, can't they just leave her alone?! it's not like she did anything wrong. experts say the allegations are super thin and she denies everything. and isn't it weird that career prosecutors got fired because they questioned the viability of the charges? doesn't that sound like a total waste of tax payer money to me? 
anyway, I don't get why the Justice Department is being so aggressive about this. are they trying to prove something? or is this just a huge power play against someone who's not on their team?
. it's all about politics now, not justice or anything else 
. james gets hit with these wild charges that are basically a joke and the department tries to refile them like 3 times already...what's going on? 
.
. It's like they're being bullied by the Trump administration.
. And what's with these "unprecedented rejections" 
? Can't they just admit defeat and move on already? It's like they're trying to make a big deal out of nothing 
. Wouldn't that be something? 
. It's just laughable at this point – like they're trying to prove a point or something 
. Like, can't we just focus on doing our jobs without all the politics involved? 
anyway, another example of how politics can go so wrong. lets just say if the AG was on the other side, no way this would happen. its all about who you know and who's in charge 
. And what's up with these grand juries? Are they even fair? 
. And now we're supposed to believe that James is somehow committing crimes by telling the truth about a mortgage? 
, trying to use the justice system to settle old scores and silence rivals. This latest move by the Justice Department is just another example of how they're willing to bend (or break) the rules to achieve their goals. And let's be real, this isn't about justice - it's about sending a message to those who dare to challenge their authority.
It's time for some accountability, folks. If anyone is going to be held accountable for their actions, it should be the ones who are trying to use the system to silence dissenters - not the Attorney General!
this whole thing just got plain weird. can't believe they're trying to go after Letitia James for nothin' 
and it's sad that this is what we've come to expect from the Justice Department 
I'm just so confused about this whole thing... It seems like the government is trying to go after Letitia James, but they keep failing. They're saying she did something wrong with her mortgage, but it sounds like there's not much evidence against her. 
I don't get why they're being so aggressive about this. It feels like they're more worried about hurting Letitia James' reputation than finding real wrongdoing. 
. Their moves are looking super fishy, especially since they had some of their own people fired for doubting the charges