Who’s Living in Letitia James’ Virginia Home?

Federal prosecutors have characterized the case against New York Attorney General Letitia James as a “garden-variety mortgage fraud prosecution,” emphasizing this description in a filing Friday that urged a judge to proceed with the charges. Lawyers for James have sought to dismiss the case, arguing it is politically motivated. Prosecutors countered that the indictment is supported by evidence and not influenced by political disputes, addressing James’ claim that the case was brought to punish one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics. They stated that U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan made the charging decision independently, despite Trump’s earlier public suggestion that charges against James might be justified. The court was told that federal judges cannot allow defendants to avoid a “facially valid indictment” because elected officials have clashed in public. Prosecutors acknowledged Trump’s shifting comments about James but stated those remarks were irrelevant to the evidence considered by prosecutors and the grand jury. They also sought to distance the case from Ed Martin, the administration’s special attorney for mortgage matters, who posed for a newspaper photo outside James’ home months before the indictment and called on her to resign. They noted that Martin was not the U.S. attorney, did not sign the indictment, and had no role in deciding the charges. James pleaded not guilty to bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. Prosecutors said she misrepresented a Norfolk, Virginia, property as a second home rather than an investment property to secure a lower mortgage rate. James has said she purchased the home in 2020 for her great-niece and allowed the family to live there rent-free. Prosecutors told the court the case is not political and not unique, describing it again as a standard mortgage fraud matter grounded in documents, financial records, and witness information. They included what they described as a 2024 text message from James that they argue shows she knew her handling of the property could raise legal concerns. “I do not want to take deduction,” the message says. “It looks suspicious and I need to do everything according to the tax code.”