Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Thursday denounced the prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James as a “vindictive prosecution of someone on the president’s enemies list,” referring to the list President Donald Trump posted on social media earlier this year.

“Another vindictive prosecution of someone on the president’s enemies list,” Schiff wrote on X. “Another terrible abuse of the Justice Department as an instrument of Trump’s retribution campaign,” Schiff wrote on X. “These actions cannot and will not deter Americans from standing up to this increasingly authoritarian regime.”

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A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted James for bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The charges stem from allegations that she falsely claimed a Virginia property as her “principal residence” in 2023 to secure favorable mortgage terms while serving as New York’s attorney general. The investigation was reportedly triggered by a referral from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who accused James of “falsifying records” to obtain preferential financing.

James, a Democrat who led multiple civil and criminal cases against Trump and his business empire, has denied wrongdoing and called the indictment politically motivated. The case, critics say, fits a pattern of Trump’s allies targeting figures who previously challenged him, a pattern that has only fueled speculation that Schiff could soon face a similar fate.

That concern stems from a now-deleted Truth Social post in which Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring charges against three of his most prominent critics, former FBI Director James Comey, Schiff, and James, while accusing her of being “all talk, no action.”

“Pam,” Trump wrote, “I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam “Shifty” Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done.’”

Within days, Bondi replaced a veteran U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia who had reportedly raised concerns about politically motivated prosecutions, appointing Trump ally Lindsey Halligan to lead the office. Weeks later, that same office brought indictments against Comey and James. 

Bondi has denied acting on Trump’s orders, insisting the department “follows the evidence wherever it leads.” Still, she is expected to face sharp questioning next week when she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Schiff plans to press her on whether she communicated with the White House or campaign aides about ongoing investigations and whether career prosecutors objected to any of the recent cases.

Asked by CNN if he was concerned he might soon face charges, Schiff replied, “This is not about me or about Letitia James or James Comey. It is about all of us. It is about whether people who stand up to the president and do their jobs and hold the administration accountable.”

The showdown came during a fiery Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this week, where Schiff and Bondi sparred over allegations that the Justice Department has been turned into a political weapon. The back-and-forth quickly turned personal,  a reflection of the bad blood between the California Democrat and the Trump administration that dates back to Schiff’s role leading Trump’s first impeachment trial.

Just weeks after FBI Director Kash Patel mocked Schiff as a “buffoon” and a “fraud” in his own testimony before the panel, Bondi took aim as well. The nearly five-hour hearing devolved into a tense exchange as Schiff pressed her on reports that the department dropped a bribery investigation into border czar Tom Homan after Trump took office. 

“As a former federal prosecutor myself,” Schiff said, “I served in a department that, whether under a Democratic or Republican president,  would never use its power to go after the president’s enemies or conceal the corruption of his friends. This Department has become President Trump’s personal sword and shield to target his opponents and protect his allies.”

Bondi shot back sharply: “If you worked for me, you’d have been fired. You were censured by Congress for lying,” she said, later challenging Schiff to “apologize to Donald Trump for trying to impeach him.” 

Schiff, now under Justice Department investigation for alleged mortgage fraud, charges he has repeatedly dismissed as politically motivated, has become both one of the department’s most outspoken critics and one of its apparent targets.

NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES INDICTED ON BANK FRAUD CHARGE

In a sign of how seriously he’s taking the threat, Schiff has already established a legal defense fund, according to filings with the Internal Revenue Service Form 8871, allowing him to raise money to cover potential legal expenses as investigations escalate.

Bondi, for her part, has brushed off accusations that she is taking cues from the president, insisting that the department “follows the evidence wherever it leads.”