New York Attorney General Letitia James was confronted by a pro-Trump protester during a community meeting in Westchester on Thursday night, just hours after the Trump administration ’s justice department opened a criminal investigation into her alleged mortgage fraud .
According to the New York Post, the heckler shouted, “Apologize to Donald Trump for wasting millions of dollars in the state of New York,” before being escorted out amid boos from the crowd.
James responded, “Everyone knows those allegations are baseless.” She added, “We want to thank him for coming, we respect all opinions.”
The federal probe, is being led by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. It centres on accusations that James misrepresented a single-family home in Norfolk, Virginia, as her primary residence to secure better mortgage terms.
She is also alleged to have listed a five-unit Brooklyn property as a four-unit residence to obtain more favourable government-backed loans.
The referral for the investigation was sent by federal housing finance agency (FHFA) director William Pulte, a Trump appointeeand was addressed to US attorney general Pam Bondi.
Trump called James “a total crook” and “a disaster for New York” in remarks from the Oval Office. While Trump insisted Bondi “would do what’s right,” he also claimed, “Pam’s gonna have to do what she wants... She always does. I’ve known her a long time.”
In a letter dated April 24, James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, dismissed the claims, saying they were “long-discredited” and revived for political retribution .
As per Fox News, Lowell argued the Virginia home was intended for James’ niece and that identifying it as her primary residence in a power-of-attorney letter was a mistake.
He pointed to other documents showing James informed lenders it was not her main residence.
On the Brooklyn property, Lowell said the building has operated as a four-unit home since 2001 and that the basement has remained unoccupied. He accused Pulte of ignoring updated records in favour of outdated ones.
While no charges have been filed yet, the justice department could take further action.
Meanwhile, James’ office has accused the Trump administration of weaponising federal agencies for political revenge. A spokesperson was quoted by BBC saying, “She will not be intimidated by bullies, no matter who they are.”
James, who led the civil fraud case that resulted in a $364 million judgment against Trump in 2023, a figure that has grown to over $500 million due to interest, stood firm despite the federal heat.
Joining her at the Thursday hearing were several Democratic AGs including Rob Bonta of California, Kwame Raoul of Illinois, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, and Matt Platkin of New Jersey.
According to the New York Post, the heckler shouted, “Apologize to Donald Trump for wasting millions of dollars in the state of New York,” before being escorted out amid boos from the crowd.
James responded, “Everyone knows those allegations are baseless.” She added, “We want to thank him for coming, we respect all opinions.”
The federal probe, is being led by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. It centres on accusations that James misrepresented a single-family home in Norfolk, Virginia, as her primary residence to secure better mortgage terms.
She is also alleged to have listed a five-unit Brooklyn property as a four-unit residence to obtain more favourable government-backed loans.
The referral for the investigation was sent by federal housing finance agency (FHFA) director William Pulte, a Trump appointeeand was addressed to US attorney general Pam Bondi.
Trump called James “a total crook” and “a disaster for New York” in remarks from the Oval Office. While Trump insisted Bondi “would do what’s right,” he also claimed, “Pam’s gonna have to do what she wants... She always does. I’ve known her a long time.”
In a letter dated April 24, James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, dismissed the claims, saying they were “long-discredited” and revived for political retribution .
As per Fox News, Lowell argued the Virginia home was intended for James’ niece and that identifying it as her primary residence in a power-of-attorney letter was a mistake.
He pointed to other documents showing James informed lenders it was not her main residence.
On the Brooklyn property, Lowell said the building has operated as a four-unit home since 2001 and that the basement has remained unoccupied. He accused Pulte of ignoring updated records in favour of outdated ones.
While no charges have been filed yet, the justice department could take further action.
Meanwhile, James’ office has accused the Trump administration of weaponising federal agencies for political revenge. A spokesperson was quoted by BBC saying, “She will not be intimidated by bullies, no matter who they are.”
James, who led the civil fraud case that resulted in a $364 million judgment against Trump in 2023, a figure that has grown to over $500 million due to interest, stood firm despite the federal heat.
Joining her at the Thursday hearing were several Democratic AGs including Rob Bonta of California, Kwame Raoul of Illinois, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, and Matt Platkin of New Jersey.
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