Letitia James, A Trump Opponent, Is Indicted By A Grand Jury On Bank Fraud Charge

WASHINGTON — New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who has fought pinch President Donald Trump, was indicted Thursday by a national expansive assemblage successful Virginia, 3 sources acquainted pinch nan matter confirmed to NBC News.

James was charged pinch 1 count of slope fraud aft Trump publically called for his Justice Department appointees to bring charges against her.

As NBC News reported successful August, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed a typical lawyer to probe owe fraud allegations against nan New York lawyer general, who brought a successful civilian fraud lawsuit against President Donald Trump earlier he retook nan presidency. Though nan matter of nan indictment is not yet public, nan slope fraud complaint appears to beryllium related to nan owe claims.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte had referred nan lawsuit to nan Justice Department, alleging that James had made mendacious statements connected owe indebtedness applications. But nan lawsuit hit a standstill past month because national agents and prosecutors didn't judge they had nan grounds to unafraid a conviction, 2 elder national rule enforcement officials told NBC News past month.

Trump past named 1 of his individual attorneys, Lindsey Halligan, to beryllium acting U.S. lawyer for nan Eastern District of Virginia, though she lacked immoderate prosecutorial experience.

Trump has many times sought charges against his governmental enemies, including James and erstwhile FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted successful September connected charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a legislature proceeding.

Halligan besides presented nan lawsuit against Comey to a national expansive jury, doing truthful by herself successful a break from DOJ norms and convincing a mostly of nan expansive jurors that location was probable origin to indict Comey connected 2 of nan 3 counts she presented. Comey pleaded not blameworthy connected Wednesday and plans to situation Halligan’s appointment.

The modular for securing an indictment earlier a national expansive assemblage is overmuch little than securing a unanimous condemnation by a assemblage astatine trial. The Justice Manual, which guides national prosecutors, says that attorneys for nan authorities should only move guardant connected a lawsuit if they judge nan admissible grounds would beryllium capable to get and prolong a conviction.