NY AG Letitia James, a Trump target, greeted by cheering supporters after not guilty plea
New York Attorney General Letitia James was greeted by a cheering crowd outside a Virginia federal courthouse after she pleaded not guilty Oct. 24 to charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. She is the next in a growing lineup of President Donald Trump 's perceived foes to face federal charges during his second term.
The case was brought less than three weeks after Trump publicly called for her to face charges and replaced a longtime prosecutor who reportedly didn't believe there was enough evidence to bring the case with his former personal lawyer, Lindsey Halligan.
"This is not about me. This is about all of us, and about a justice system which has been weaponized, a justice system which has been used as a tool of revenge," James told dozens of people standing outside the Norfolk, Virginia courthouse Oct. 24.
James said she has received support from across the country, and channeled the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous "I have a dream" speech when he said, "And we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."
"There's no fear today, no fear, no fear, no fear, no fear, because I believe that justice will rain down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream," James told the crowd.
Supporters chanted "We stand with Tish" and "We stand with you" as James approached the crowd after her not guilty plea and later returned to the courthouse building.
More: New York AG Letitia James gives spirited remarks in first appearance since indictment
Halligan, who has never before been a prosecutor, was formally appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi , a close Trump ally, to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Halligan was the only federal prosecutor to sign James' indictment . James said in an Oct. 23 court filing that she planned to file a motion on Oct. 24 challenging the lawfulness of Halligan's appointment.
That motion may be similar to one filed Oct. 20 by former FBI Director and prominent Trump critic James Comey, who was also indicted by a grand jury after Halligan was installed. Comey argued that Bondi did not have the authority to install Halligan under a law that divides that power among th e attorney general, the Senate, and the court system. His motion on that issue is still pending.
Comey has declared his innocence and pleaded not guilty .
The charges in Virginia accuse James of attempting to defraud two financial institutions by falsely characterizing a three-bedroom, one-bathroom property that she bought in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020 as a secondary residence. In reality, according to the indictment, it was an investment property that she never planned to live in. She allegedly rented the place to family and mischaracterized its use to secure better terms on her mortgage.
As New York's attorney general, James' office brought civil charges against Trump in 2022 , alleging he fraudulently inflated the value of his assets for years to obtain better loan terms. Judge Arthur Engoron, a state judge in New York, agreed Trump was liable and, after a months-long trial, ordered Trump to pay a penalty of about $454 million . A New York appeals court threw out that financial penalty this summer , but it kept in place some business restrictions that Engoron imposed. James' office has appealed that decision .
Both James and her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, have suggested that Trump pushed for charges against James in retaliation for that lawsuit.
"Attorney General James flatly and forcefully denies these charges. We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump ’s desire for revenge," Lowell said in a statement following James' indictment.
Halligan, for her part, has defended the charges.
"The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust," she said in a statement.
Contributing: Reuters
This story has been updated with additional information.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump target Letitia James greeted by cheers as she pleads not guilty
