The Justice Department is now 0-2 in its attempts to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James.
On Dec. 4, a grand jury in Virginia declined to indict James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The move comes less than two weeks after indictments against James and former FBI director James Comey were dismissed by U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie.
“As I have said from the start, the charges against me are baseless. It is time for this unchecked weaponization of our justice system to stop.” James said in a statement after the latest indictment was dismissed. “I am grateful to the members of the grand jury and humbled by the support I have received from across the country. Now, I will continue to do my job standing up for the rule of law and the people of New York.”
Despite the ruling, James might not be completely in the clear from prosecution as federal prosecutors can again seek a new indictment against her.
At the heart of the Justice Department’s case against James is that she allegedly claimed a home in Norfolk, Virginia, as her second residence, which allowed her to be granted favorable loan terms, and that she rented the property to a family of three. According to the indictment presented by Lindsey Halligan, a former Trump personal attorney and acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, James allegedly saved about $50 a month on the loan.
The original indictment against James and Comey was voided due to Halligan’s “unlawful” appointment. The case was brought forth again with different prosecutors, but a grand jury delivered the same result.
James, a frequent political enemy of President Donald Trump, had vehemently denied all charges against her. Political pundits considered the case as part of Trump’s “revenge tour” against her and other notable figures after she successfully argued a 2022 fraud case against Trump and the Trump Foundation in New York.
“He’s now put people in place to investigate his perceived enemies, whether it’s justified based on the facts and the law or not,” Anthony Coley, a former Department of Justice official during the Biden administration, told theGrio in April.
On Truth Social in September, Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly to pursue charges against James, Comey, and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA). According to NBC News, the message was intended to be a DM but was instead shared with Trump’s millions of followers on the platform.
“Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,” he said. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility.”
