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Grand juries decline to indict New York Attorney General
A federal grand jury in Virginia has refused to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud allegations, marking the second such decision in a week. The rare outcome deals another setback to efforts by former President Donald Trump to pursue legal action against political opponents.
Background of the case
Last month, a federal judge dismissed the case against James, a Democrat, after ruling that a prosecutor appointed by Trump lacked legal authority to bring the charges. James, who previously filed a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, has called the federal case politically motivated.
Prosecutors accused her of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution regarding a mortgage for a three-bedroom home in Norfolk, Virginia. They alleged she misrepresented the property as her secondary residence to secure favorable loan terms unavailable for investment properties.
Grand jury process and rarity of rejections
Grand juries, composed of citizens, determine whether probable cause exists to believe a crime was committed. Their role is not to decide guilt or innocence but to assess whether evidence justifies a trial. Data shows such rejections are exceptionally rare: in 2016, federal grand juries declined to indict in only six of more than 150,000 cases investigated, according to CBS News.
The first grand jury, seated in Norfolk, refused to press charges last week. The second, convened in Alexandria, Virginia, reached the same decision on Thursday.
Reactions and broader context
James's attorney, Abbe Lowell, called the decisions by two separate grand juries proof the case "should never have seen the light of day." In a statement, Lowell described the prosecution as "a stain on this Department's reputation" and warned that reviving the charges would "be a mockery of our system of justice." The Justice Department has not commented.
As New York's top legal official, James filed a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, in 2022. A judge later ruled Trump liable for falsifying records to obtain better loan terms, imposing a $500 million fine. An appeals court later overturned the penalty as excessive but upheld the fraud finding.
Trump's allies have repeatedly called James's actions politically motivated, citing her 2018 campaign pledge to sue him and her description of him as an "illegitimate president."
Other legal battles involving Trump's critics
The dismissal of the case against James follows a November ruling by a federal judge to drop criminal charges against her and former FBI Director James Comey. Comey, whom Trump fired in 2017, was accused of lying to Congress. Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, currently faces charges related to mishandling classified information.
