An official within the Trump administration has accused New York Attorney General Letitia James of fraud, claiming that she misrepresented information relating to a housing loan. With this accusation, James — who successfully prosecuted Trump and his business organization in a nine-figure lawsuit in 2024 — becomes the latest Trump adversary to face scrutiny or retribution since the president returned to office.
James accused of misrepresenting real estate interests
As first reported by the New York Post, Trump-appointed Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte recently submitted a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, accusing James of submitting “falsified records” relating to several real estate transactions. Specifically, James is accused of stating that a property she owned in Virginia was her “principal residence” in 2023, while she was living in New York, as well as making other misrepresentations about properties in New York, allegedly to secure more favorable terms for loans and mortgages. She has not been charged with any crime with regard to the allegations. James released a statement through a spokesperson declaring that “Attorney General James is focused every single day on protecting New Yorkers, especially as this Administration weaponizes the federal government against the rule of law and the Constitution.” Her statement continues that “she will not be intimidated by bullies — no matter who they are.”
Trump adversaries under fire
As Axios noted, James’ office won a $464 million civil judgment against Trump, several members of his family and other associates, as well as the Trump organization, for financial fraud, alleging that they manipulated the values of various Trump properties to obtain loans or lower tax liabilities. Now, James is one of several people who previously clashed with Trump whose security clearances were removed once the president took office again; others include Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who successfully prosecuted Trump on criminal charges related to hush money payments for a sex scandal.
Trump, conservative media pounce on allegations
Trump and his allies have been celebrating these accusations while disparaging James. Trump posted to his Truth Social platform, calling James “a totally corrupt politician” and a “wacky crook” and saying that she “should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY.”
The New York Post, the Trump-friendly outlet that broke the story on Tuesday, has followed up with headlines such as “Letitia James dodges questions about mortgage fraud scandal outside NYC home, pretends to be on the phone,” as well as an opinion piece on the accusation titled “Tish James will eat her own words.”
While it is unclear whether or not James will ultimately face formal charges related to her real estate declarations, Trump and his allies are already using the accusations to attempt to discredit one of Trump’s most successful legal foes. Given Trump’s track record of seeking revenge, it appears that the current administration is eager to attempt to go after her for the same types of charges that she pursued against Trump.
