By Charles Switzer
1:10am PDT, Apr 17, 2025
Letitia James Faces Federal Criminal Referral Over Alleged Mortgage Fraud
New York Attorney General
Letitia James, who gained notoriety for declaring that "no one is above the law" while targeting President
Donald Trump, has now been hit with a federal criminal referral.
According to a letter obtained by the
New York Post, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director
William Pulte sent a referral to Attorney General
Pam Bondi and Deputy AG
Todd Blanche alleging that James falsified records to secure home loans for a property in Virginia she claimed as her "principal residence" in 2023 while still serving as New York's attorney general.
Here's what's happening.
MORE:
Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news
Allegations of Falsified Records and Misrepresentation
The letter accuses Letitia James of misrepresenting her primary residence in mortgage applications for a Virginia property that she purchased in August 2023 while she was involved in the civil fraud
trial against the Trump Organization.
William Pulte's letter notes, "Ms. James was the sitting Attorney General of New York and is required by law to have her primary residence in the state of New York — even though her mortgage applications list her intent to have the Norfolk, VA, property as her primary home."
He suggests that these misrepresentations were made to secure a lower interest rate and more favorable loan terms.
Additional Claims Regarding Brooklyn Property
The referral also includes allegations that Letitia James misrepresented a five-family dwelling in Brooklyn that she purchased in February 2001.
According to the letter, James listed the property as having only four units in various mortgage documents and building permit applications.
Additionally, William Pulte points out that James purchased another property in 1983 with her father as a co-signer but falsely listed them as "husband and wife" in official documents, raising questions about the validity of her mortgage applications.
James Responds to Allegations
In response to the criminal referral, a spokesperson for Letitia James issued a statement defending her actions.
"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. She will not be intimidated by bullies — no matter who they are," the spokesperson said.
The allegations against her were first reported by
White Collar Fraud, which highlighted James' alleged falsification of her residence status to secure a better mortgage rate in Virginia.
Political Implications and Ongoing Investigations
The criminal referral was issued on the same day that Letitia James' office confirmed it was preliminarily looking into whether insider trading played a role in the 90-day pause that President Donald Trump
imposed on reciprocal tariffs.
This is not yet a full investigation, according to the AG's office, and it remains unclear who or what is being scrutinized.
Trump himself responded aggressively to the referral, calling for James to resign, posting on Truth Social that "Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY."
