New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime foe of President Donald Trump, was indicted on criminal charges including bank fraud on Thursday (October 9, 2025), the Justice Department said, as the administration seeks to use government power against those who have pursued investigations into him or publicly resisted his agenda. Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said Ms. James had been indicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a lending institution. The Justice Department has been probing mortgage fraud allegations against her.
"The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public's trust," Ms. Halligan said.
Trump publicly urges U.S. Justice Department to charge his enemies
Each count is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, but should Ms. James be convicted, any sentence would be determined by a judge.
Neither Ms. James' lawyers nor representatives of her office immediately responded to requests for comment. Mr. Trump, a Republican who campaigned for reelection in part on a vow of retribution after facing a slew of legal woes since his first term in the White House ended in 2021, has repeatedly assailed James on social media and at political rallies as a partisan enemy.
