NY Attorney General Claims ‘Outrageous Conduct’ in Trump Administration Fraud Charges

New York Attorney General Letitia James\’ lawyers on Monday accused the Trump administration of carrying out \”outrageous government conduct\” by laying patently unconstitutional fraud charges against her. They alleged the indictment was meant to punish James for opposing President Trump and requested the judge to reject it with prejudice.

James was accused of bank fraud in October, with prosecutors claiming she bought a house in Virginia, falsely termed it a second home to secure a lower interest rate, contrasting its actual purpose as a rental property.

In a Monday filing, James contended that the charges were a result of unethical behavior by certain senior officials. These included FHFA Director Bill Pulte, top Justice Department official Ed Martin, and interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan.

Bill Pulte

Pulte initiated the investigation into James following instances of alleged mortgage fraud. The prosecutors alleged Monday that Pulte used his agency as a weapon against President Trump’s adversaries.

They cited messages among Fannie Mae officials, questioning the evidence of mortgage fraud. The legal team also questioned the origins of the probe, suspecting it could have relied on a blogger or unlawfully accessed Fannie Mae loan files.

Ed Martin

The lawyers also questioned the role of Martin, termed his actions outrageous, and claimed he violated several professional and ethical codes.

Lindsey Halligan

The filing also targeted Halligan, who began leading the Justice Department’s Eastern District of Virginia in September, following the resignation of Erik Siebert. Lawyers for James and former FBI Director James Comey recently argued that her appointment was unlawful, and that their indictments were vindictive prosecutions.

James sued President Trump in 2022 for fraud, alleging misrepresentation of property values to get beneficial lending terms. Although a judge ordered Trump and his company to pay more than $350 million, an appellate court dismissed the amount as \”excessive\”. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

While CBS News is yet to receive comments from FHFA and the Justice Department, James’ legal team in Monday’s filing asserted that the administration officials aimed to penalize James for standing against the President.