New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime target of Trump, indicted
New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury Oct. 9 on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, less than three weeks after President Donald Trump publicly called for her to face charges .
The indictment comes on the heels of charges against another Trump critic, former FBI Director James Comey. A federal grand jury in the same jurisdiction, the Eastern District of Virginia, indicted Comey on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. Comey has declared his innocence and pleaded not guilty .
"This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General," James said in a statement following the indictment.
James' office sued Trump civilly in 2022 , alleging he fraudulently inflated the value of his assets for years to get better loan deals.
In her statement, James called the charges against her "baseless." That message was echoed in a statement from her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, a prominent attorney who is representing multiple clients challenging the Trump administration .
"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.
Justice Department official Lindsey Halligan, a former personal lawyer to Trump who has been leading the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia for nearly three weeks, said in a statement : "No one is above the law."
"The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust," Halligan added. "The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served."
Soon after news of the indictment broke, Attorney General Bondi posted a single sentence on X : "One tier of justice for all Americans."
Trump calls for James to be charged, replaces skeptical prosecutor
In a Sept. 20 social media post , Trump called for James, Comey, and California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff to be prosecuted. Schiff held leadership roles in both of Trump's past presidential impeachments, while Comey headed the FBI when it investigated contacts between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Russian government.
Trump fired Comey in 2017. Ultimately, special counsel Robert Mueller concluded there wasn't sufficient evidence that the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia .
"They’re all guilty as hell, ... and there is a GREAT CASE," Trump said in his Sept. 20 post, without explaining what he was accusing them of. "JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!"
The same day as that post, Trump replaced a longtime prosecutor, Erik Siebert, with Halligan. Siebert reportedly concluded there wasn't enough evidence to bring criminal charges against Letitia James, and also questioned the level of evidence against James Comey. Halligan had never before prosecuted a case.
More: Politicized Justice Department? Comey charges take Trump's threats to new level
What is Letitia James accused of?
James faces two criminal counts, one alleging she committed bank fraud and another alleging she made false statements to a financial institution.
The indictment accuses James of trying to defraud two financial institutions, OVM Financial and First Savings Bank. It alleges she falsely characterized 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 personally live in.
James rented the place out to a family, according to the indictment. It alleges she mischaracterized her use of the property to get better mortgage terms.
New York's 2022 lawsuit against Trump
In 2022, James sued Trump, his business entities, and some of his family in a civil case, alleging they fraudulently inflated the value of Trump assets for years to get better loan and insurance terms. New York State Judge Arthur Engoron agreed and, after a months-long trial, ordered Trump himself to pay a penalty of about $454 million .
A New York appeals court threw out that financial penalty in August , although it kept in place certain business restrictions that Engoron had imposed. James' office has appealed that decision .
'This isn't justice. It's revenge': Democrats react
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement that the indictment of James "should horrify every American who believes no one is above the law."
“This is what tyranny looks like," Schumer said. "Trump hand-picked an unqualified hack that would go after another political enemy. This isn't justice. It's revenge."
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also expressed fear for the nation's institutions. He said in a statement that Trump, with the help of Attorney General Pam Bondi , had successfully turned the Justice Department into a shield to protect his allies and a sword to attack his opponents.
"If any elected Republican actually gives a damn about a weaponized Justice Department, speak up now," he said.
Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas
This story has been updated with additional information.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Letitia James, a target of Trump, was charged with bank fraud
