New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted on a bank fraud charge and a false statements to a financial institution charge by a federal grand jury in Virginia on Oct. 9, the Department of Justice announced.
The indictment marks the second prosecution of President Donald Trump‘s perceived enemies in the Eastern District of Virginia under U.S. Attorney Lindsay Halligan, whom Trump appointed after he claimed he had fired then-U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert.
Siebert had informed the Department of Justice that he had insufficient evidence to pursue charges against James, the outlets reported. He also raised concerns about a separate case against former FBI Director James Comey.
Attorney General for the state of New York Letitia James looks on during a press conference in New York City, U.S., September 2, 2025.
In a Sept. 20 social media post, Trump called for James, Comey, and California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff – who held leadership roles in both of Trump’s past presidential impeachments – to be prosecuted.
In a video statement posted to X, James forcefully declared her innocence and called the prosecution a “desperate weaponization of our justice system.”
“He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General,” James said.
Here’s what you need to know about Letitia James.
James won civil case against Trump
James has served as New York State Attorney General since 2019, winning the office in 2018, and is the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected AG.
In 2022, James sued Trump, his business entities, and some of his family in a civil case, alleging that they fraudulently inflated the value of Trump’s assets for years to secure better loan and insurance terms. New York State Judge Arthur Engoron agreed and, after a months-long trial, ordered Trump himself to pay a penalty of about $454 million.
A New York appeals court threw out that financial penalty in August, while keeping in place certain business restrictions that Engoron had imposed. James’ office has appealed that decision.
In September, she accused Trump’s Department of Homeland Security of “attempting to rewrite immigration law, erase due process protections, and deny people their most basic constitutional rights,” according to amNY.
She has also been an ally of New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. “No one should be surprised that Donald Trump is employing fascist tactics—prosecuting his opponents, weaponizing the federal government, and attacking the very fabric of our democracy,” Mamdani said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.
Before her role as attorney general, James was elected New York City’s public advocate in 2013. She also served on the New York City Council, representing the 35th Council District in Brooklyn for 10 years, according to her attorney general biography.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, James is a graduate of Lehman College and Howard University School of Law.
Contributing: Francesca Chambers – USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is NY Attorney General Letitia James?
