New York Lawyer Common Letitia James, showing in a federal courtroom in Norfolk, Virginia, pleaded not responsible Friday to fees of alleged mortgage fraud, after she was indicted earlier this month by President Donald Trump’s handpicked U.S. legal professional.
James pleaded not responsible to at least one depend of financial institution fraud and one depend of creating false statements to a monetary establishment.
“Not responsible, decide, to each counts,” stated James, coming into the plea herself.
The decide within the case set an preliminary trial date for Jan. 26, to which each the federal government and the protection agreed.
The trial is predicted to take “no extra” than two weeks, stated authorities attorneys, who estimated they may name between 8 to 10 witnesses.
Interim U.S. Lawyer Lindsey Halligan — who Trump appointed simply days after calling on the his legal professional common to act “NOW!!!” to prosecute James and different political enemies — secured the indictment towards James on Oct. 9.
Halligan was named U.S. legal professional by Trump after Trump ousted her predecessor, Erik Siebert, who sources say had expressed doubts internally about bringing instances towards James and former FBI Director James Comey.
New York Lawyer Common Letitia James stands silently throughout a press convention on October 21, 2025 in New York Metropolis.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photos
James, who efficiently introduced a civil fraud case towards Trump final yr and leads a number of lawsuits difficult his administration’s insurance policies, was indicted on fees that she dedicated mortgage fraud associated to a house she bought in 2020.
Based on the indictment, James falsely described the property as a second dwelling to get an advantageous mortgage fee, however used it as an “funding property,” rented to a household of three. The indictment alleged James collected 1000’s of {dollars} in hire and would have saved $17,837 over the lifetime of the mortgage versus a mortgage at the next fee.
“Nobody is above the legislation. The fees as alleged on this case signify intentional, prison acts and great breaches of the general public’s belief,” Halligan stated in an announcement asserting the fees. “The info and the legislation on this case are clear, and we’ll proceed following them to make sure that justice is served.”
However in an inner memo to Siebert in September, prosecutors stated James bought the house in Norfolk, Virginia, for her great-niece and instantly allowed her and her kids to start dwelling in the home rent-free, sources told ABC News. Prosecutors met with James’ niece, who acknowledged that she had by no means signed a lease, had by no means paid hire for the house, and that James had usually despatched her cash to cowl a few of the bills, the memo concluded, in line with sources conversant in its contents.
“It is baseless,” James said of the charges this month. “It is nothing greater than retribution, retribution for doing my job.”
Attorneys representing James filed a movement Thursday signaling their intent to problem Halligan’s appointment as illegal. An identical movement difficult Halligan’s appointment was filed within the case against Comey.
James’ protection attorneys additionally filed a movement to the courtroom to implement guidelines prohibiting leaks from prosecutors, after a Monday report by Anna Bower of the web publication “Lawfare” contained Sign textual content messages exchanged between Halligan and Bower within the days after fees have been filed towards James.
“In initiating this contact, Ms. Halligan — the lead prosecutor on this case as of the date of this submitting — commented on the credibility and common energy of the proof introduced to the grand jury,” the submitting states.
James’ attorneys argue of their submitting that Halligan’s feedback to Bower run afoul of the Federal Guidelines of Legal Process, the Code of Federal Laws, native courtroom guidelines, the Justice Division Handbook, and guidelines of moral {and professional} accountability.
James’ indictment on Oct. 9 got here between the indictments of Comey and former Trump nationwide safety adviser John Bolton amid what critics name Trump’s campaign of retribution towards his perceived political foes.
Vice President JD Vance has stated any such prosecutions are “pushed by legislation and never by politics.”
If convicted, James faces a most of as much as 30 years in jail per depend, as much as a $1 million high quality on every depend, and forfeiture of the property.
