That hasn’t stopped Trump’s federal prosecutors from launching a criminal investigation into Letitia James. As the current Attorney General of New York, she has been one of the most important political foes to former President Donald Trump. That investigation has picked up steam in recent weeks. It has been fueled by a recent criminal referral against her for allegedly nefarious financial transactions connected to her residency assertions, not to mention a titanic lawsuit against Trump himself.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been at the forefront of legal actions against Trump. Now, she’s stuck with a big penalty of more than $450 million because of a lawsuit she signed for her office. This lawsuit alleged that Trump intentionally inflated his net worth in order to receive favorable financial benefits. Trump’s allies are currently arguing that James should not even be allowed to serve as Attorney General. They claim that this is a result of fears over her residency status resulting from the conclusion of this legal fight.
In August 2023, days before the civil fraud trial started, James assigned a power of attorney. This declaration stated, among other things, that she was a bona fide resident of Chicago. This complicated document has been the focus of much criticism for likely falsifying her address as her main residence.
Abbe Lowell, James’s attorney, stated, “Director Pulte cherry-picked an August 17, 2023 power of attorney that mistakenly stated the property to be Ms. James’ principal residence.” Beyond the applicability to her case, this defense isn’t going to help the attorney general if she didn’t mean to mislead about her residency.
That same year, in 2001, James bought her own home in Brooklyn, which she described as a multi-family or five-family house. Yet, public records show that the loan she obtained for this property was only accessible on homes with four or fewer units. A certificate of occupancy dated January 2001 states the house has five units. This is a HUGE red flag and raises all sorts of questions about the legitimacy of her claims.
James also claimed that she would be staying on Virginia Avenue. This declaration was the source of much head scratching, especially in light of what she did and said after this. A school loan application showing that she planned to live outside of Virginia ultimately undermined her claims. Per New York state law, public officeholders must be residents of the state, making her situation all the more legally precarious.
James’s political foes have pounced on these inconsistencies to undercut her credibility, and her chances of serving as Attorney General. They claim that her purported misrepresentation could undermine her jurisdiction. It might force her to reconsider the merits of many of the suits she’s filed against Trump, Inc. and others.
That investigation is ongoing. The allegation’s effect on James’s political career and her new courtroom challenges is still to be determined. Her actions as CEO are under intense scrutiny. This ties into the broader theme of law and politics intersecting in New York, particularly when it comes to high-profile defendants such as Donald Trump.