Trump administration refers NY AG Letitia James for possible prosecution over allegations of mortgage fraud
James is accused of listing a home in Virginia as her primary residence and listing her father as her husband on mortgage applications
By Published April 15, 2025 8:42pm EDT | Updated April 16, 2025 8:54am EDT
Jonathan Turley unpacks a criminal referral against New York AG Letitia James
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been hit with shocking allegations by the Trump administration, accusing her of mortgage fraud.
In documents obtained by Fox News Channel’s “The Ingraham Angle,” the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice on Tuesday, accusing James of mortgage fraud.
FHFA Director William Pulte said in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi that James appears to have falsified records to meet certain lending requirements and receive favorable loan terms.
Pulte cited a property in Virginia that James allegedly claimed as her principal residence and a property in New York she claimed as a four-unit structure instead of five, which he said could mean she was able to get a different and more favorable loan.
In response, a spokesperson for James’ office said Wednesday morning that she has been “focused every single day on protecting New Yorkers, especially as this administration weaponizes the federal government against the rule of law and the Constitution. She will not be intimidated by bullies — no matter who they are.”
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New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a news conference Sept. 21, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)
Fox News contributor and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told Fox News host Laura Ingraham the irony of James getting accused of falsifying records is “perfectly crushing.”
“This is a person who prosecuted Trump for everything short of ripping a label off a mattress, and among the charges that were brought in New York, in not just the civil but the criminal case, was making false or misleading statements to financial institutions,” Turley said. “As for James, if we apply the Letitia James standard that she created, there’d be little question here. This seems pretty straightforward.”
He explained the Trump administration is saying this was not her principal residence because, as a New York elected official, she has to say her principal residence is in New York.
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a news conference. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
James is also accused of saying her father was her husband to file as a married couple, Turley added.
“The Supreme Court just stated earlier in March, in a case called Thompson, that they want to see knowing false statements under sections, like 10-14, not just misleading statements,” Turley said. “These are misleading statements. Either it’s your principal residence or it’s not. Either you’re married to your father or he’s your father.”
The DOJ did not respond to Fox News on the matter.
The issue has been prosecuted in the past, but as Turley said on “The Ingraham Angle,” the “documents themselves are quite damning.”
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NY AG James referred to DOJ for alleged mortgage fraud
by: Johan Sheridan
Posted: Apr 16, 2025 / 03:13 PM EDT
Updated: Apr 16, 2025 / 03:14 PM EDT
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Federal housing regulators referred allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James to the Department of Justice on April 14. According to U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, James counts Virginia as her principal residence, pretends a five-unit New York property only has four units, and lists her father as her husband on a mortgage application—all for lower interest rates and favorable loan terms.Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox!
As the FHFA referral alleged to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, James committed mortgage fraud, falsifying documents on applications for two property mortgages—one in Norfolk, Virginia, and the other in Brooklyn. Pulte’s referral—available to read at the bottom of this story—said that James likely violated several federal statutes, specifically 18 U.S. Code §1343 for wire fraud, §1341 for mail fraud, §1344 for bank fraud, and §1014 for making false statements to a financial institution.
If proven, the claims could lead to prosecution for one of New York’s highest-ranking officials, who has long argued that “no one is above the law.” The referral relies on media reports and documentation from FHFA. DOJ did not respond to requests for comment.
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“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,” said a spokesperson from James’s office. “She will not be intimidated by bullies—no matter who they are.”
According to the referral, in 2023, James allegedly authorized an attorney to act on her behalf, buying the Virginia property to make it her “principal residence.” Even so, she allegedly maintained a public office and residence in New York. A 2024 building permit on her New York property, labeled the “James Residence,” also allegedly listed it as her main home.Poll: New York majority against Hochul leadership, reelectionPlay Video
How mortgage rates are determined
According to the referral, New York law requires the Attorney General to reside in-state.
Mortgages on primary residences have lower interest rates, as lenders understand that homeowners keep up better with payments on the home where they actually live. Secondary residences, m
