The New York Post has a classic cover to flat the story “Trump administration refers NY AG Letitia James for potential prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud.” The story by Josh Christenson and Victor Nava report:
New York Attorney General Letitia James — who infamously declared that “no one is above the law” when she was targeting Donald Trump — was hit with a federal criminal referral for instances of alleged mortgage fraud on Tuesday, according to a letter obtained by The Post.
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte sent the missive to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche, alleging that James had “falsified records” to get home loans for a property in Virginia that she claimed was her “principal residence” in 2023 — while still serving as a New York state prosecutor.
That occurred in late August 2023, weeks before James began her civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization for over-inflating the values of many of its properties, which ended in a $454 million judgment.
“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,” the letter stated.
“It appears Ms. James’ property and mortgage-related misrepresentations may have continued to her recent 2023 Norfolk, VA property purchase in order to secure a lower interest rate and more favorable loan terms.”
The Post also enlisted Jonathan Turley to comment in the column “Tish James will eat her own words.” Professor Turley assesses:
For an attorney general who just prosecuted Trump for everything short of ripping a label off a mattress, the details in the referrals are particularly damning.
Indeed, the greatest danger is that the Letitia James standard could be applied to Letitia James in guaranteeing that “no one is above the law.”
The allegations against James run from the demonstrably false to the downright bizarre.
In securing a loan for a home in Norfolk, Va., James is accused of claiming through her representative that the property would be her principal residence.
As the [criminal] referral notes, primary residences receive more advantageous rates.
However, as “the sitting New York Attorney General of New York [James] is required by law to have her primary residence in the state of New York.”
It may be “A Tish best served cold,” as the cover has it, but it is also a delicious Tish.
