Topline
New York State Attorney General Letitia James accused President Donald Trump of weaponizing the justice system against his political rivals on Thursday night, after the Justice Department announced she had been indicted on charges of bank fraud and making false statements—just weeks after the president publicly demanded action against her and other prominent foes.
In a video statement issued on social media, James said: “This is nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system,” as she accused Trump of “forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding.”
The indictment by a federal grand jury in Virginia charges James with one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, linked to a mortgage on a property she purchased in the state in 2020.
James said the charges were “baseless” and added, “The president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost.”
The New York attorney general called out Trump’s removal of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, who failed to bring charges against her and former FBI Director James Comey, saying the move was “antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country.”
James’ statement also described U.S. Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s handpicked choice to replace Siebert despite her lack of prosecutorial experience, as “someone who is blindly loyal not to the law, but to the president.”
James added she stands “strongly” behind her office’s litigation against the Trump Organization and said: “Judges have upheld the trial court's finding that Donald Trump, his company, and his two sons are liable for fraud.”
“I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space. And so today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job,” James said.
Halligan, who had no prosecutorial experience before being named interim U.S. attorney, is the only prosecutor listed in the filing against James. She issued a brief statement announcing the indictment, saying: "No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public's trust. The facts and the law in this case are clear."
The president has not yet publicly commented on or posted any remarks about the indictment. However, the president’s Truth Social account posted a video of CNN’s interview with David Schoen, the attorney who represented him during his second impeachment trial, saying the prosecutor in this case was “very impressive to put this together.”
Prominent Democratic Party leaders also criticized the indictment while echoing comments made by James, accusing Trump of weaponizing the justice system. In a statement on X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “This is what tyranny looks like. President Trump is using the Justice Department as his personal attack dog, targeting Attorney General Tish James for the ‘crime’ of prosecuting him for fraud—and winning. One U.S. Attorney already refused this case. So, Trump hand-picked an unqualified hack that would go after another political enemy.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies said: “The baseless indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James is part of Donald Trump's corrupt weaponization of the criminal justice system against anyone who has sought to hold him accountable…The malicious prosecution of Attorney General James has no legitimate basis in law or fact, was brought by a corrupt political hack and will not survive scrutiny in a Court of Law.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul praised James for “her integrity, her independence, and her relentless fight for justice,” on X and wrote: “What we're seeing today is nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.” Sen Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., tweeted: “Trump’s march toward authoritarianism continues. If you oppose him politically, he is prepared to charge you with a crime. Too many brave Americans died to defend democracy. Trump cannot be allowed to destroy our Constitution and the rule of law.”
The Democratic nominee for the New York City mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani, also called out the indictment, saying: “New Yorkers know Attorney General James for who she is: a champion for justice who fights relentlessly for the people. Donald Trump knows her only as an obstacle to his corruption. No one should be surprised that Donald Trump is employing fascist tactics—prosecuting his opponents, weaponizing the federal government, and attacking the very fabric of our democracy…If Trump wants to leverage baseless charges to visit political retribution on New York’s Attorney General, he’ll have to go through New Yorkers first.” Mamdani’s opponent and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, tweeted: “In a democracy, the rule of law must be sacred - impartial, objective, and above politics. When the law is weaponized or manipulated to advance political agendas, it erodes public trust and weakens the very foundation of justice.” Cuomo’s statement, however, stops short of mentioning James’ name or criticizing Trump directly, which prompted Mamdani to quickly call him out.
A Closer Look at the Counts in the Letitia James Indictment (New York Times)