New York Attorney General Letitia James has called the accusations against her from the Trump administration of mortgage fraud "baseless."
Speaking with NY1, James said, "Let me just say to all New Yorkers and to all Americans: The allegations are baseless. The allegations are nothing more than a revenge tour."
James added, "I will not be silenced. I will not be bullied. I will not bend. I will not break. And I will not bow to anyone. No one is above the law, including the president of these United States." She said she would officially respond to the letter "at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way."
"I am more focused, again, on standing up for the freedoms, the liberties and the rule of law in the state of New York."
Federal Housing FHFA Director William Pulte sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday, accusing James of having "falsified records" to get a home loan in Virginia while she was still serving as the New York state AG.
"Based on media reports, Ms. Letitia James has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms. This has potentially included 1) falsifying residence status for a Norfolk, Virginia-based home in order to secure a lower mortgage rate and 2) misrepresenting property descriptions to meet stringent requirements for government backed loans and government assistance," the letter stated.
The Virginia home was purchased in 2023 by James and her niece and was listed as James’ principal residence. Her office said that James has been clear that the house was not her primary residence.
The accusations against her come after James launched an in investigation into Trump leading up to his 2024 election, where she alleged that Trump inflated the value of his real estate and engaged in “repeated and persistent fraud." All loans on the properties were paid back to the banks and there were no victims of the alleged fraud. A previous AP analysis determined that over the past 70 years where similar statutes were used, each case involved a victim.
